Our day started early for our trip home. After waking up around 5:30 AM to finish packing, we all were downstairs ready to check-out of our hotel by 6:30 AM
this morning (Caen time). After making sure we had everyone, we made our
final walk to the train station in the hopes that our train would be
running on time in spite of the ongoing rail strike. Fortunately, our
train did arrive on time, but it was very crowded. Some members of our
group were unable to even sit in their assigned seats as it was so
crowded, and instead were forced to find available seats wherever they
were. After ensuring that we were all aboard, we settled in for the ride
back to Paris.
The ride back to Paris was
fortunately uneventful, and we made it to the train station in good time
so that we would be able to begin our trip across the city to the
airport. After leaving the first train, we stopped and waited while
tickets were purchased for our trip on the RER to Charles de Gaulle
International Airport.
Our first task was to
cross through the turnstiles into the subway with all of our baggage,
which was quite the adventure itself. Based on our experiences
with these on the way to Normandy, we were slightly prepared and after
some heavy lifting of bags over the turnstiles, we were through. We then located the train we needed with the assistance of one group
member's French skills coupled with the aid of a friendly local.
Boarding the first subway train, we hopped down the line one stop and
then boarded a second train on the RER to the airport. We rode all the
way to the end of the line and arrived at the airport with plenty of
time before our flight back to Pittsburgh began boarding.
After clearing security and
border control, we all made our way to the gate for the final leg of our
trip home. Still having roughly an hour to spend in the airport, many
of the group spent time finding lunch or buying last minute souvenirs.
The writer's own personal goal was to go home with as few Euros as
possible, and therefore spent considerable time at the vending machines
attempting to use all of his remaining currency on Belgian Waffles and
Kinder Buenos. He had great success in his efforts, and returned with a
meager 6 Euro cents from the trip.
After everyone ate a light meal before the flight, we boarded the plane to
Pittsburgh and set off back across the Atlantic. The flight home was
spent enjoying in flight snacks and drinks, sleeping, watching movies,
and playing games by most of the members of the group. There was also, of
course, reminiscing about the past 10 days of the trip and discussing
how much fun we had all had.
After landing in
Pittsburgh, we again went through customs and border control, then were
on our way back to parking and pickup via the people mover. Arriving at
the land-side terminal, we said our goodbyes then went our separate
ways, as we all were eager to go home and see our families. While the
end of the trip was both happy and sad for us all, it was especially
bittersweet for the writer as it was his last event of his Wheeling
Jesuit career due to his graduation from the University. The trip itself
was a fitting way to end the academic year, and was also a very
educational and enjoyable experience for all who went.
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