Safe and Sound (and Exhausted)

What an adventure to get here! (Though it doesn't compare to his seminary-visit adventure). I had a hectic day yesterday. I had to be at work by 8:30 for chapel, only to leave at 12:30 for class at FIU, only to leave at 1:55 and get back up to the office for my ride to the airport. Kiki graciously offered to take me. I'm pretty sure she regretted it by the time she dropped me off. It was pouring; so much so, that I couldn't park my car at work. It would have been in 2-3 feet of water. So I parked it down the street, at its true home- a thai restaurant. We left around 2:25, hoping to be at Ft. Lauderdale Airport around 3:15. My flight didn't take off til 5:15. No stress, right? WRONG.
We got on I-95, and within 10 minutes we were sitting. Just gridlocked on 95. At 3, I started wondering how many more exits til we got to 595. It turns out, it was a lot. At 3:45, I pulled out my GPS (very handy whenever I travel by myself- and which I only brought to use in N.C. not Miami) and we hopped off 95 and headed through some backroads until... yay! we found it :) She dropped me off at the concourse at 3:55. The good news is, I didn't need to check a bag, and had already checked in online. So, for the first time in my life, I went straight to security.
That was pretty cool. You know how I got out of the car at 3:55? Well, I was sitting at my gate at 4:07. Isn't that crazy? I couldn't believe it.
Once I got to the airport, it was effortless. I was so relaxed by the time we boarded, that I knocked out during take-off (Yes, during take-off. What can I say? It puts me to sleep). I am 93.9% sure that I snored a little, with my mouth gaping open. Sleeping on an airplane never made anyone look attractive. Not even toddlers. It's awkward. But when I woke up, I felt so much better. I had a connecting flight in Charlotte, and only 35 minutes to get from one plane to the other. No problem. It's a sweet airport. And instead of benches, you know what they have? Rocking chairs.
Welcome to the South. We're not in Miami, anymore...
I landed in Raleigh at 8:45, and took a shuttle to pick up my rental car. They were out of all compact and economy cars. Ho-hum. How sad. I tried really hard to look disappointed when they said I'd have to take a full-size car. I got a Mazda 3. It was hard to keep the speed down. It flies. I thought I was going 70, and I was actually going 90. I passed my exit (because I was busy being a speed demon), and stopped at a gas station (of course) and asked where I could find a Wal-Mart. It sounded complicated. I smiled, thanked him, and looked for a CVS or something. Just down the street I found a Rite-AID, bought the liquids I couldn't carry-on (like gel, etc.) and found a cool place to eat- Back Yard Burger. I ordered a 'Black Jack'. You can guess what kind of cheese it has... It was yummy.
By then, it was 10 pm. I had to hit the road and find this little town called Wake Forest! So I hoped on the Interstate and headed up. It's adorable. There are so many old, beautiful trees, huge houses, narrow streets, and nice people. When I finally (after 20 minutes of driving circles around campus) found the house I'm staying at, I pulled in and 2 deer ran in front of my car. And because the headlights were still on, like bugs to a zapper, they stopped and stared. And I did what any normal person would do- I shouted, "Oh my gosh! Deer! Deer!" But there was no one else in my car. Oh well. I checked in, got my key, and here's my room! I have a big day ahead of me. There is only free time from 4:30 to 6, and it doesn't end til 11 tonight. At least I slept well, though freezing... Wish me luck! Or better yet, pray for me!