After last night we are all a little exhausted. The airports are full of somber carolina fans who would pay anything to get out of San Antonio. The going rate for one ticket to the National Championship game... Whatever you can get! I sold my ticket before the game had even ended for 100$. To make matters a little worse I've finally come down with a nasty cold. San Antonio was great for a basketball tournament if you were on the winning team, but I can't say that I'm eager to get back. The river walk, albeit a friendly stroll on a spring afternoon, gets old after about 20 minutes. No matter how bad it seems we all have one thing to be grateful for today. We don't live in Kansas. If I were an economist I would predict a sharp decline in consumer spending for the state of Kansas in 2008. The reason cited is that more than 15,000 people spent half their annual income on bringing their families to San Antonio to watch Kansas beat Roy. I did get the chance to sit beside a 10 year old boy last night who had no specific ties to any of the teams. After going down 40-12 in the first half I told the kid I needed him to be a big UNC fan and reassure me that a comeback was not out of the question. The kid did exactly that prompting a 24 point swing over 12 minutes with his tarheel pom-pom. By the end of the game the boy from San Antonio was more deflated than I was about the failed comeback effort. The only consalation that I had to offer the kid was that he should work really, really, hard in school so that one day he could come to school at UNC, where our storied basketball tradition and wonderful academic standards make us the most hated University in all of the country. Of course being a kid I had to reassure him that if for some reason, like our comeback efforts, he failed... He could always attend Kansas. My only thought now is to get back to Raleigh and enjoy my last several weeks of Spring in the only home I know. What a long strange trip it's been. My life has no doubt been enriched by the experience of seeing 17 States over a 6 week span. Meeting wonderful people along the way I feel much more complete in my understanding of what it means to be of "America". A place where our political idealogy often gets in the way of willingness to help each other become better people. Without getting sentimental, which is hard to do, because there is just something very sentimental about having your eyes fill with water when you come to the ledge of the Grand Canyon, not because your sad, but because your mesmorized. To my mother who thought this cross country trip was a bad idea, but gave me the benefit of the doubt. I wouldn't give it back for anything. Defenitely not a bad idea. Love you Mom~
