pat loughery

Saturday – Day 8

Too early on Saturday morning, we began to go our separate ways – most of us to the airport in Glasgow, and others scattered other directions. We said hasty goodbyes as we entered the airport.

Judi received a message that her husband Herb had been hospitalized with a blood clot, potentially a life-threatening situation. She was able to get an earlier flight toward home although I later learned that she had a hard time getting an earlier flight from New Jersey to Seattle.

In the airport, I learned that I had one too many bags, so I combined two bags and threw an old laptop bag away in a garbage can. I checked into my flight, and was immediately met by airport police. They told me that another passenger had seen me leave a package in the garbage can, and they needed me to show and tell them what I had done. I immediately realized the seriousness of this choice – the Glasgow airport had suffered a bombing just a month before. I explained what I had done to the police as I showed them my old bag, and was very apologetic. They walked me outside the airport and asked me to throw the bag into a dumpster, satisfied with my answer and repentance.

By the time I was back in the airport, the rest of the students were dispersed through security to their own flights. I went to my gate, still several hours early, and started writing my trip journal. While there, I saw Jack Drennan again – he had an earlier flight back to Belfast than I did, and we talked for another hour or two.

I flew back to Belfast without further excitement. When I landed, Jack was there to pick me up – I was going to stay with his family two more nights; Mary was staying one more night (Judi had planned to as well, but was able to fly home early). We met Jack’s wife and sons. Jack and I took his dogs for a hike on the mountain above Belfast, and I was very happy to exercise a bit. I was surprised how much the hiking felt like I was in Seattle – similar greenery and mud. I still have mud from that hike on my boots. Belfast mud. We had dinner with the family and spent a quiet evening in.