<p>USNA09Mom
Unfortunately a flight home to California for a 4 day weekend just wasn't pratical so our daughter flew to Ohio where she had Thanksgiving with my Aunt and Uncle. My wife and mother flew there as well so she saw at least the better half of us! I will have to wait until Christmas leave :(</p>
<p>Saturday is a big game day, thats for sure! The games overlap somewhat so I will be doing a lot of channel flipping! It's not every day you can watch both your college teams win on the same day! :)</p>
<p>Army in an upset over Navy! (ok, so I'm an optimist but after 4 wins in a row there are a lot of us!)
UCLA finds out (again) that its no shame to lose to the #1 team in the nation!</p>
<p>Just have to say that we wouldn't have missed I-Day for the world. We actually took our mid a few days early, visited relatives in the Michigan and tried to acclimate to the heat and the 4 hour time difference. </p>
<p>When we went back for PPW we gave him his flight info. for Thanksgiving, just so he would know how long he had to hold on. He actually had been given some very good words of wisdom from the youngster who hosted him on his candidate visitation. He told our son that I-Day to Thanksgiving is the longest period of time you will be required to be away from home. Our son was surprised at how quickly Winter Break, Spring Break and then Summer Break came along after that!</p>
<p>Anyway, perhaps it was because we knew that we lived so far away that we would not be able to make jaunts there or to go to the occasional football game that we were determined to do all of the events plebe year. </p>
<p>Also, because of the distance he has decided it is better not to come home for Thanksgivings. 12 hours flying, one way, leaves very little time for relaxing once home. </p>
<p>I guess my point is that whatever events you decide to attend, they will be meaningful to you and your mid, and that every family must weigh their own priorities and assorted factors in order to come to the best decision for their own case.</p>
<p>momof1,
I agree that attending i-day or not is certainly a personal decision. My daughter had traveled a lot and on i-day she wanted to focus on the induction process, not be distracted by her family. Therefore, she flew from Southern California to Baltimore with a handful of other appointees. Though she is only 18, we just renewed her passport for the fourth time. It worked for her because she spent the night prior to i-day with other unaccompanied appointees in Bancroft Hall, and was processed first on i-day. Sponsor parents took wonderful photos and sent them to me. I went back a couple of days early for Plebe Parent Weekend, and I also visited over Columbus Day weekend when my daughter had extra liberty for the holiday and Navy football win over Air Force.
I-day to Thanksgiving is a long five months! On the other hand, it's effortless to get between BWI and LAX on non-stop flights--four and a half hours eastbound, five hours westbound. (Mids got upgraded to first class out of BWI.) I know that isn't the case with many parts of the country with multiple flight segments.</p>
<p>If I may make a suggestion: Do NOT miss I-Day.</p>
<p>There are a lot of seminars and meetings with the Sup and Dant, all for the parents. They pass out some good information (so I've heard from my parents), and help the parents get used to the idea that it's REALLY begun.</p>
<p>Also, watching your mid take the oath is a moment any parent should be proud to attend. Believe me, you won't be in her way, and being able to say goodbye later may prove a good thing for both you and her.</p>
<p>Yeah, with Alaska you get the East/West plus a few hundred miles thing and then get to add the same distance North/South thing. Plus the temperature thing. Makes for a very tired mid. Oh, and Right around Thanksgiving it is usually 20 below or so. (This year it was 35 below for Turkey Day!) so it also makes for a sick mid :@ And Bates lights are not winter gear! :)</p>
<p>I do understand, though, that the California contingent has the tradition of going together for I-Day, and I am sure that that early bonding is a good thing for them. So again, whatever works for your family.</p>
<p>mids that make it through Plebe Summer reaffirm their oath during Plebe Parent Weekend, and that is really special! Supe, Dant, athletic director, and provost make informative presentations during that weekend too.</p>
<p>Alaska and Hawaii are definitely too far for Thanksgiving!</p>
<p>My Plebe Year roommate was the exchange student from South Korea.</p>
<p>Now THAT is a trip! :-O</p>
<p>I just remembered that one of my 2/C was from Alaska. He had all sorts of fun laughing at us when we complained about the cold and he was in shorts and a T-shirt! LOL!</p>