Last night I got a late text from the student team members asking if they could put their unopened and left over water in barrels in the morning. Driving anywhere in the vastness of Brooks County takes time, so our last day was our earliest start yet. After a quick breakfast, we packed the van, checked out of the hotel and headed south and east to roads that still hold the legacy of Eddie Canales: life saving water stations.
The team said goodbye to Brooks County and made the long drive back to San Antonio. The ability to leave the situation at the border is a luxury but the transition back home can be tough for some team members. I’ve found spending a few hours in San Antonio being tourists provides them with a bit of buffer as they shift back to the Midwest.
At the airport we weighed our bags and had to do a little rearranging before checking them in. Then in the security screening line, we held our breath as our carryon bags, each with at least one animal bone or antler, made their way through imaging. Chastidy and Lilly had their bags pulled for closer inspection.
We made our flights to DFW and then IND with no problems. We said our goodbyes at baggage claim and headed home to sleep in our own beds. We will continue to post over the next week and hope you continue to take a few minutes each day to read our reflections on this trip.