DART to the DFW airport

This past weekend I was in Dallas for my college's homecoming weekend. I have been on the Austin College alumni board the past three years, and we had our board meeting last Friday.

Sunday I made my way back to the DFW airport. My car rental location was close to the DART (Dallas Area Rapid Transit) station, so I decided to take the train to the airport.

When I boarded the train, it brought back lots of memories. The first year that I lived in Dallas after graduation from college in Fall 2007, I often took the DART train to my job at a software company. The smells and sounds on the train yesterday reminded me of what it used to be like riding the train. That was before the smartphone was readily available, so I would often bring magazines to read on my journey. The train's first stop yesterday was at the University of Dallas. During Fall 2007 I was teaching a MCAT prep course for Princeton Review at that campus. I still remember driving across Dallas from Plano to Irving, often in thick traffic and heavy rain, to get to the U of D campus to teach. Until yesterday I had not been back to that campus in 15 years.

While riding the train, a fare collector came through the cab to inspect tickets. He started chatting with me and asked me where I was headed. I told him I was going to San Diego, but that I had lived in Dallas two years from 2007-2009. I told him I was visiting Dallas for homecoming weekend at Austin College. He then asked, "How did someone who went to Austin College end up in San Diego, CA?!" I told him that it's been a VERY unexpected journey and that I never would have imagined living in southern California back when I was a regular DART train rider living in Dallas.

All this is to say I feel very fortunate for all the opportunities that have come my way since my first days riding the DART back in fall 2007. I grew up in a small East Texas town and never could have imagined my life now as a young adult. It's been a really fun journey and I do believe that Austin College helped get me there.

AC alumni board 2022-23



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