A hop, skip, and a...

So I am now sitting in Akron PA in one of the most interesting and wonderful environments I have ever been in. We are at the MCC offices, who are currently hosting all of the SALTers as well as all of the IVEPers(a cross cultural exchange program).
I have said all the goodbyes. I am going to say that I'm just glad they're done. I would not have cried if my departure party simply hugged me goodbye and ran out of the door. Instead they opted to stalk me along the customs line. The line crept behind the other baggage claims which provided me with periodic shelter from crying eyes. These eyes ultimately won, affording me the honor of being "the guy" standing in the customs line with a case of the sniffles trying to pretend he's not crying.
As rough as that may have been, the rest of the trip has been a dream. I had planned on sleeping, but as fate should have it, a very concerned father sat down beside me. After a brief head nod, which I planned on following up with a little turn of the head with a 2 hour sleep to finish. BUT before I could turn my head I was launched head first into a conversation about what purpose leasing a room off residence has for a second year daughter.
I landed and, for the first time, was beaten by my bags to the baggage claim. WAY TO BE PA!! My excitement was brief, as my brief survey of the arrival pick ups found nobody from MCC. I then jumped into a very calm panic and simply walked around the terminal at least 4 times. Just as I decided to take more aggressive action, I was greeted by another SALTer, who had very much enjoyed my thinly veiled fear.
After all of the SALTers had been corralled we began our incredibly scenic drive through some very Amish and Mennonite towns. Their lifestyle makes more sense to me know than it did when I first read about them in high school.
After some icebreaker games, we played some ultimate frisbee. I am reasonably confident with a disc and was happy to play. I was much less happy when we changed to soccer. I have no skills... None. There are some IVEPers from Brazil who were so good I fully stopped playing to stand back and watch.
AND that is my first day away from home.
so far so great! ( I am not proofing these, so comment if you notice any grammatical  or spelling errors that I should correct)