----- Original Message -----
From: "Sharon George"
To: "Tom Anzai"
Sent: Wednesday, October 03, 2001 10:05 PM
Subject: Re: Forum post

Pam Delaney came to the conference with her fiancé Chuck (?). Big burly bear - gruff outside and very kind and loving - so is Pam.

The car was a tiny, tiny Chevy. I'm very bad on models and makes. Don't know how much it cost to rent. The only reason they had one was because they had rented it earlier in the week for sight seeing. After Tues. morning there was not a car to be found; and of course no Greyhound or bus travel from the NE was available.

They weren't expecting my luggage, so it rode in the backseat with me. I felt like I was in a space capsule from the 60's. Very small. We were on the road 12-15 hours a day non stop. We got our food from drive throughs off the freeways. I kept busy with a sketchbook and pen and despite the bumpy ride I got some interesting vignettes, mostly elves, goblins, and gnomes.

We stopped at cheap motels and ate junky food, drank lots of caffeine, so when we'd finally stop my body felt like it was still rushing forward. Odd feeling.

But the worst night was coming through Utah. Believe it or not there was a huge wine festival going on and no motel rooms to be had. We had to drive 50-100 miles between turn offs. Both Pam and Chuck were totally exhausted. It was scary.

Finally, Pam pulled into a motel parking lot and we attempted to sleep in the car. When Chuck put his seat back to rest, I had to assume impossible positions to fit my body into the allotted space.

Finally I got out of the car and stood up. It was 3 am, cold, desolate, and scary. I was tired, sore, hungry, and needed a bathroom and the motel was completely shut down. No doors were open anywhere. The lot was full of cars, and the dirt area where we had parked was too. I could see the silhouettes of exhausted travelers sleeping in their rentals. At that moment it came home to me that I was a "refugee", fleeing from terror, trying to go home where it would be safe and comfortable.

More importantly, I realized how lucky I was; that for refugee life, it didn't get much better. I thought of all the people in the world who have had and will have to leave their homes behind because they're not safe and comfortable anymore. People without rental cars and no credit cards and no MacDonalds on the side of the freeway. I gotta tell you, it really hurt to think about that.

So I found a bush and got back in the car and tried not to think about my discomfort anymore. Pam woke up soon after and we drove on. We did finally find a motel with one room vacant. They looked at me and said I could sleep in the car or in the second bed. I opted for the bed! Clothes on, filthy I was, but the sheets were clean and it was heavenly!

The next day we hit Las Vegas and Pam and Chuck drove me to the Greyhound station. They were spending the night to gamble. They were so kind to me, lots of hugs. I don't think I will ever forget the 4 days and nights we spent together and the bond of friendship that formed.

The bus trip was slow, loud, and smelled bad, but so what? I was so happy to get home, hug my family, and pull off my shoes.

Everything that whole week seemed surreal, a different reality. The tragedy back east is so difficult to absorb, even now. We live in a wondrous, beautiful country on a wondrous, beautiful planet. It's really hard to reconcile all that majestic goodness and bounty...and hate. BTW, Pam and Chuck won some money in Vegas. Who says good deeds are not rewarded?

Sharon