eric’s graduation
May 15
On my flight back to the US from Rome, I had a layover in Lisbon, Portugal. I happened to pass through at a time where they were experimenting with new passport technology that caused the passport control line to weave through the entire terminal. All around me people were expressing their dissatisfaction and ultimately missing their flight. My long layover turned out to be fortuitous as the two hour wait hardly impacted my timeline. I arrived in Chicago, calm as a bird, ready to spend the weekend with my family, and celebrate my cousin for his amazing feat of obtaining his PhD!
I met my family at the airport and was immediately warmed by our chaotic and dysfunctional dynamic. After obtaining our rental, my dad parked on the side of the highway as I ate my CAVA, and we waited for Michelle to land. Once Michelle landed, we drove 1.5 hours into the most random part of Illinois. I crashed immediately, but they went out to dinner as my dad was likely thinking about pizza during the whole drive.
May 16
We woke up at 6 AM and to my horror, I realized that Purdue was situated in EST meaning, it was already 7 AM for Eric. When I announced this discovery to my family, no one believed me and they continued sleeping. Eventually, my dad recognized the value of this information I shared and everyone jumped out of bed.
On our way out, we were distracted by the kitchen and quickly raided the coffee machine and ate all the muffins. In the car, we passed cornfield after cornfield and endured a powerful rainstorm. Thankfully, the ceremony was inside and somehow, we made it exactly on time at 9 AM.
Inside the stadium, we located my uncle who I hadn’t seen in maybe 10 years. He looked remarkably the same and it was heartwarming to watch Eric walk across the stage and get hooded all together.
We met him outside to congratulate him and take many pictures. He looked really happy that we had all made it, and we were all very proud of him for this huge accomplishment, especially in a foreign country in his secondary language!
He took us on a walking tour of his campus where we stopped by his lab and took numerous pictures. Curiously, the FBI keeps uranium in his lab but is deeply locked away. We joked about Eric’s tour through America where he visits all the states no one in my family has been to: Alabama, Indiana, and up next, Kentucky. His girlfriend and a couple of his friends joined us and were all very nice and knowledgeable in the field of material science. It was great to see him very supported in this close-knit community.
For lunch we went to a Mexican place where we overwhelmed the waitress and ordered chaotically. My dad started to become very provocative, and we launched into a long political discussion where we found almost no common ground. My mom chimed in to support him, Michelle supported me but lacked stamina, and my uncle remained as a neutral voice of reason.
To decompress, Eric took us to a beautiful savanna trail where we walked through trails by a lake and spotted herons and even a sweet, sleeping owl. This was perfect since everyone’s blood pressure was elevated from lunch. This park had outdoor instruments which I really liked and noted to somehow install in my own backyard someday.
Next, Eric brought us to a witchy place where if you stand in the center of the circle, you hear bird chirps. We were preoccupied by this phenomenon for a while and decided that the formation of tiles and location of the center must be producing an echo.
Naturally, we wandered to a popular ice cream spot where again, my family ordered in a very non-linear and confusing fashion. Everyone got their ice cream thanks to the expert scoopers.
Suddenly, my dad wanted pizza and we visited a nearby bar, again highlighting the non-linear and unconventional patterns of my family’s lifestyle. My mom and I played shuffleboard and were very bad.
After this, we said our goodbyes and congratulated and wished Eric and my uncle well!
May 17
This morning, I caused major delays at Michelle’s expense. She arrived at the airport with 20 minutes to board and a long TSA line. I breezed through the pre-check as she begged each individual in front of her to let her cut them. Eventually, she reached someone who said no.
I went to her gate and notified them of her situation. Everyone made it and this marked the end of a very pleasant albeit quick family gathering!