Accreditation in Savannah

I didn't write yesterday because I was on the road very early to go to an accreditation conference in Savannah, Georgia.

I didn't sleep well, as I often don't sleep well the night before travel. So I got up, took a quick shower, made coffee for the thermoses, and was on the road by 4:50 a.m. It was a very easy trip--what a nice surprise. Not much road work or slow downs, hurrah. Good stuff to listen to on NPR. I zipped right on up I 95 and got to the hotel just before noon.

The hotel is very upscale, a Westin, on an "island" (human made, I think) that's part of a convention center part of town. It's across the river from the real town of Savannah, the historic part. The official check in time is 4:00, but I always see if it's possible to check in early, when I get to a place early. Hurrah, I got checked right in.

I had thought about walking around Savannah, but once I was settled into the room, the skies opened up, and the rain started.  But that was O.K. too.  I got to enjoy the lovely room while I caught up on grading for my online classes.

The hotel room has no Bible, but it does have a Book of Mormon--I find that odd. I found it as I was opening drawers in my search for the wi-fi info or other info.

Later in the afternoon, the rain let up.  I didn't trust it enough to take the ferry across the river to the historic district, but I thought, wait, I have a car for just this very reason!  So I got in the car, drove across the bridge, and found parking--and because it was Presidents Day, the parking was free.

Long ago, we went to Savannah, back in the late 80's.  It doesn't look at all like I remember it--which makes me wonder which colonial city I'm remembering.  I expected to be reminded of Charleston, SC, but I was more reminded of Alexandria, Virginia--and even some of the older parts of Columbia, South Carolina.

It was still cloudy and gloomy and a bit chilly--perfect walking weather.  I snapped 94 pictures--what fun!

I came back in time to join the team for dinner.  It was delightful, a good chance to reconnect with everyone.  Some of us know each other from our time at a previous school, including one woman who was part of my quilt group before she moved to higher ground in Florida.

We lingered long after dinner, another unexpected treat.  And now it's on to the accreditation workshop, a type of conference that will be new to me.  

At one point yesterday, I glanced out of the hotel windows onto the Savannah river where once ships holding slaves would have sailed.  I thought about the fact that I was in a hotel that was both a resort and a conference center.  My poet brain will be making something of these connections.  Hmmmm.  

The city also was the birthplace of  both Flannery O'Connor and Juliette Low, founder of the Girl Scouts.  Hmmm.  More connections . . .