I drove Edwin back to VCU today, and it was clear sailing the entire way. I had to pinch myself a few times because this is not the I95 I know. Door to door took us 1:40.
He ran into his dorm to drop his bags while I waited in the car.
“There is literally nobody here,” he reported as he hopped back in the car. After all, campus had just opened at 10:00 AM, and it was 11:00. When we returned to his dorm after lunch and a stop at the grocery store for a few staple items, the building was still silent. Except for the young man at the check-in desk, we saw nobody.
As he put away his groceries and started unpacking, I asked him what he was going to do with the rest of his day. He pulled out his phone and checked Life360.
“Well, these friends are almost back to campus, but these people haven’t left home yet.” I peered at the screen and saw a small cluster of young adult faces approaching Richmond from the north; several other faces dotted Alexandria and Arlington, and I think I spotted a few approaching from the south and east.
“I think I’ll do some studying for my math test and then meet up with people.”
As I gazed out the window, I got a sudden twinge of that Sunday afternoon feeling the first few hours back in the dorm after a vacation my freshman year. I missed my bedroom and the comforts of home. Studying and papers were awaiting my attention. It took me a bit before I readjusted, but inevitably, as I reconnected with people and didn’t have to explain to anyone where I was headed at “this hour,” I perked up and reveled in my independence. I imagine that’s sort of what Edwin is experiencing today.
My Corner of the Village 