After an exhausting 2 years of COVID-19 and canceling our VAST trip 4 times, we finally are back at it again. Well – most of us. Of our original 14 people, 12 made it. Never the less, we were excited and got ready for the journey! 40 Hours of traveling? No problem for the VAST students. Going to a fully packed Sportsbar right after checking in the Hotel? — Easy.
VAST students and professors are made for this! Some of us started a few days earlier, Some of us, like me — not.

Well, I wish I could tell you more about the exciting first night of our group. While the rest of the group was enjoying ice-cold drinks and a football game on TV cheering with the local fans, I was at the Washington DC Airport, waiting and trying to claim my lost luggage. Sometimes you just got to suck it up and tell your self it is what it is and carry on. With the promise in hand that my luggage will be sent to our hotel by the next day. I was on my way to the hotel and to hopefully join the others for a well deserved cold beer. But what do I get to see once I made it to the pub? No VAST members around… the strains of the journey must have gotten to them, and they all turned in for the night and so did I…

…by Oliver, 11.09.22