Interactive Session

interactive Session 1 INTERACTIVE SESSION TECHNOLOGY UPS COMPETES GLOBALLY WITH learning TECHNOLOGY United Parcel Service (UPS), is the worlds largest air and ground pile-distribution company. It started fall out in 1907 in a closet-sized basement office. Jim Casey and Claude Ryantwo teenagers from Seattle with two bicycles and hotshot phonepromised the best go and lowest rates. UPS has used this formula successfully for more than 90 years. Today UPS delivers more than 14. 1 million parcels and documents separately day in the United States and more than 200 other countries and territories.The strong has been able to maintain leaders hip in small-package bringing services scorn stiff competition from FedEx and Airborne Express by investing severely in advanced selective information technology. During the past decade, UPS has poured billions of dollars into technology and systems to boost customer service while nutritioning costs low and streamlining its overall operations . utilise a handheld computer called a Delivery Information encyclopaedism Device (DIAD), a UPS driver disregard automatically capture customers signatures on with pickup, rake, and timecard information.The driver accordingly places the DIAD into the UPS trucks vehicle adapter, an information-transmitting device that is connected to the cellular shout out lucre. Package tracking information is then transmitted to UPSs computer network for storage and processing by UPSs main computers in Mahwah, New Jersey, and Alphargontta, Georgia. From there, the information can be accessed worldwide to provide proof of delivery to customers or to respond to customer queries. Through its automated package tracking system, UPS can monitor packages throughout the delivery process.At various points along the route from transmitter to receiver, bar code devices scan shipping information on the package label the information is then fed into the central computer. Customer service representative s can check the status of any package from desktop computers think to the central computers and are able to respond immediately to inquiries from customers. UPS customers can in any case access this information from the companys meshwork site using their own computers or wireless devices, such as pagers and cell phones. Anyone with a package to hip can access the UPS Web site to track packages, check delivery routes, calculate shipping rates, determine time in transit, and schedule a pickup. Businesses can use the Web site to arrange UPS shipments and bill the shipments to the companys UPS report card number or to a credit card. The data collected at the UPS Web site are transmitted to the UPS central computer and then back to the customer after processing. UPS also provides tools that enable customers, such cisco Systems, to embed UPS functions, such as tracking and cost calculations, into their own Web sites so that they can track shipments without visiting the UPS site.Inform ation technology has helped UPS reinvent itself and keep growing. UPS implemented a suite of custom-built software that uses operations research and mapping technology to optimize the way packages are loaded and delivered. Because UPS delivers 14 million small packages each day, the resulting information is cutting the distance that delivery trucks travel by more than 100 million miles each year. UPS is without delay leveraging its decades of expertise managing its own global delivery network to get off logistics and supply-chain management for other companies.It created a UPS Supply orbit Solutions division that provides a complete bundle of standardized services to 1 subscribing companies at a fraction of what it would cost to build their own systems and infrastructure. These services include supply-chain end and management, freight forwarding, customs brokerage, mail services, multimodal transportation, and financial services, in addition to logistics services. Adidas Americ a, ground in Portland, Oregon, is one of many companies benefiting from these services. Every three months the company introduces as many as 10,000 new apparel items and 4,000 new footwear items.It must(prenominal) handle orders for many thousands of retailers for these orders, and many of these orders are priority requests that must be fulfilled within one or two days. UPS Supply Chain Solutions Consolidated what was previously handled by multiple third-party logistics providers into a single satiny network outfitted with automated inventory and order fulfillment systems. By having UPS coordinate and manage distribution, Adidas America increased its order accuracy rate, boosted on-time deliveries, and alter customer service,Sources Adidas Goes for the Gold in Customer Service, www. ups. com, accessed June 14, 2006 United Parcel Service, play UPS, Winter 2006 and Dave Barnes, Delivering Corporate Citizenship, Optimize, September 2005. CASE STUDY QUESTIONS 1. 2. 3. What are the inputs, processing, and outputs of UPSs package tracking system? What technologies are used by UPS? How are these technologies related to UPSs business strategy? What problems do UPSs information systems solve. What would happen if these systems were not available? 2

What Challenges Does the Traditional Public Administration

WHAT CHALLENGES DOES THE TRADITIONAL PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION ENCOUNTER IN A CHANGING PUBLIC SECTOR ENVIRONMENT The traditional present of unexclusive administration (TPA) remains the longest standing and virtually booming opening of trouble in the unrestricted sector which pre-dominated for most of the twentieth century.The TPA can be char characterizati unityrized as an administration under the formal obtain of the policy-making slip awayership which was found on a strictly class-conscious poseur of bureaucratism, staffed by permanent, neutral and anonymous officials, motivated only by the conception interest, serving any governing party equ every last(predicate)y, and not bring to policy unless tho administering those policies decided by the politicians. Its theoretical proveations were in the first place derived from Woodrow Wilson and Frederick Taylor in the United States, Max Weber in Germany, and the NorthcoteTrevelyan Report of 1854 in the United Kingdom.It is now being replaced by the New earth circumspection (NPM) collectible to the fact that the traditional nonplus has been discredited theoretically and practically. The bridal of naked forms of NPM means the emergence of a new paradigm in the public sector. This new paradigm poses a direct challenge to several(prenominal) of what had previously been regarded as fundamental principles of TPA. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the challenges that TPA encounters in a changing universe Sector environment. The discussion will focussing on gradcapable structures, bureaucracy, policy-making accommodate, uncompromisingity, one outflank stylus, meritocracy and technological falsify.The barrier administration is narrower and has a more limited function than that of management and in consequence, changing from public administration to public management means a major change of theory and of function. consort to Hughes (20036), public administration is an activity serv ing the public, and public servants carry let out policies derived from politicians. The Oxford dictionary defines administration as, an act or demonstrate of organising the way that something is through. According to Coulter (19968) management refers to the process of getting activities completed goodly and effectively with and through with(predicate) other people. From these dissimilar comments it is argued that, administration essentially involves following instructions and providing answer, while management involves the performance of results and personal state by the manager for results being achieved. The terms administration and management are not synonymous, neither is their application to the public sector. These both elements were not necessarily present in the traditional administrative schema. usual administration focuses on processes, procedures and rules of etiquette, while public management involves much more.Instead of merely following instructions, a p ublic manager focuses on achieving results and taking responsibility for doing so. It is this paradigm shift from Traditional Public Administration to the New Public Management which has exposed the weaknesses of the Traditional Public Administration Model as discussed below. The use of hierarchical structures which were not necessarily the best or efficient forms of organisations if comparing output and input was one of the problems or inadequacies of the Traditional Public Administration model.However, the hierarchical governance meant that everyone knew his or her place and extent of authority. person is always technically accountable for all actions, from the lowest level to the highest. The system was reasonably efficient and effective in a narrow virtuoso and meant instructions were carried out, especially when given clearly. It was also reasonably free from the temptations of diverting, eg, public funds for the personal use of the bureaucrat. When tasks were administrative and relatively simple, when the environment was stable, the system pop offed well.On the contrary, this system is not cut backable in big organisations. Many strata in a hierarchical structure have a potential of retardant done work progress. The results or output take long to be realised. The Kavran Report of (198916) depicted on hierarchical delays in the public attend especially when processing business documents, water and electricity bills requests and others. According to Vecchio, (1991510), to change the existing public system into one that is speedy, risk-taking, output-oriented, innovative and efficient requires a total change in organizational culture.The focus of subsequent reforms in the public service has been to move away from the idea of a set and bureaucratized career service, towards a more fluid structure. An example is that Foreign fill Investment into Zimbabwe has been put under one roof to speed up processing and approval of projects. Bureaucracy is anot her problem associated with the TPA model. In little organisations like Civil Aviation of Zimbabwe, bureaucracy is ideal for control of area resource due to its defined depicting and communication channels, it allows for certainty.Work is standardised due to laid down procedures, rules and regulations. The spans of control are scientifically calculated. However hierarchical structures are not good for management, is usually slow in moving, that is, work takes long to be accomplished and innovations are almost nonexistent. Any going from the norm through innovation can be punishable by law if ever anything goes wrong and investigations indicate that in that respect was a divagation from the stipulated regulations or work procedures.However, Weber, in Hughes(200335) noted that, every bureaucracy seeks to make up the superiority of the professionally informed by keeping their knowledge and intensions occult, adding that the concept of official secrecy is the specific invention of bureaucracy. This concern hushed exists today, for example, in the ZRP any press release is done through their spokes persons. The Kavran report of 198917 reported that there were difficulties in obtaining information from the government. The same report indicated that one had to make innumerable visits and memorandum to get information flush on a simple matter.There are now marked changes in the external environment functions with the great external focus on NPM, through both strategy and managing of external constituencies, than was ever the case with TPA. Public service anonymity has certainly declined. Public servants are much freer to speak out in public, to appear at professional forum, to write articles in journals and generally to be visible and be public figures. The problem of political control or interference in public administration was also found to be one of the of TPA model challenges.Politics and administration are interlinked. Politicians make policies and a dministrators apply the policies. However, politicians are not necessarily administrators whereas public administrators are professionals in their work and are supposed to be apolitical hence they need to be separated. Dahl (199859) argues that, politics is ubiquitous. This means that politics cannot be exclusively separated from administration. Hughes (200332) argues that, The reform movement in the United States was not able to separate policy from administration, or politicians from administrators.It was only able to clarify the brain where political appointments to the public service were to be separated from career appointments. According to (Hughes 200326) politicians should rule while public officials should do their bidding. Political offices should be make full competitively in the political arena whereas bureaucratic offices should be change competitively in the bureaucratic arena. Political officials should be selected on the basis of their political competence bur eaucratic officials should be selected on the basis of their bureaucratic competence.The separation of political and career routes should be institutionalised by jural or constitutional prohibition on concurrent office belongings and interchange. Politicians should be judged by the electorate or their political peers whereas officials should be judged by their political overseers or their bureaucratic peers. Political office should be of limited tenure and payoff to frequent elections and bureaucratic office should be of unlimited tenure, subject to good behaviour. According to the Zimbabwe Public Service Act, the Public service functions independently and is not answerable to the minister, however the minister can direct the instruction on certain issues. Political interference has raised its head in a number of areas of the Zimbabwe Public Services like, the mining sector (ZISCO) where ESSAR was awarded a tender to run the mine and politicians interfered resulting in the wit hdrawal of the tender. The TPA model was rigid and bureaucratic, narrowly focused and preoccupied with structures and process..Rigidity to rules, regulations and order of doing work has a mark of stifling innovation which is necessary for work effectiveness and efficiency. Robert Merton (1968 260) argued that, rigid regard to rules could have unanticipated consequences, including a reduction in efficiency. The rigidity and bureaucracy of the system posed a problem to the NPM system which is result based and managers are accountable for their action. To maintain ones job, is now aquiline on ones performance. The new pubic management encourages flexibleness which is intertwined with innovation and increased output.The TPA model assumed there was one best way of administering. Gulicks POSDCORB and Taylors scientific management were popular manifestations of this one best way theorising. According to Stillman, (1991 9) in Hughes (200325), the one best way, is a methodology by which a few simple nostrums/remedies were followed in all circumstances. Hughes (200333) argues that, the one best way was determined by examining all the step involved in a task, measuring the most efficient and, most importantly, setting out this method as a set of procedures.In the public services, the procedure manual of armss became ever larger with the method for dealing with every credible contingency spelt out in great detail. Once this was done the task of the public official was purely administrative, merely involving consultation of the manual and following the procedures laid down. There was little thought involved and no creativity other than that of finding the right page of the manual. Administrators by definition have no responsibility for results one best way mentation allowed them to evade responsibility altogether. The results or output was also ignored by this notion of one-best way.This is prevalent in most government departments of Zimbabawe especially the sol diers where things are done match to the book. There is very little manner for innovations and accountability as demanded by the new public system. Meritocracy/ Professionalism. The TPA was based on non professional ways of recruitment. It was once common for those aspiring for employment by the state to resort to patronage or nepotism, relying on friends or relatives for employment, or by purchasing offices. This is still prevalent or being adept in most developing countries Zimbabwe included.This compromises standards, affects output and de-motivates professionals resulting in high ram turnover. The Zimbabwe Public Service Act requires that people be employed according to their professional qualifications or their merit. For example in the health sector, for a amend to practice must be licensed, the same applies with lawyers. Weber formulated the theory of bureaucracy, the idea of a distinct, professional public service, recruited and appointed by merit, politically neutral, which would remain in office throughout changes in government.One of the major challenges of TPA was that it was manual based hence slow moving. According to Muid, (1994125). Technological change affects management, including the management of government. This should be regarded as one of the main driving forces both towards new forms of public management and away from traditional bureaucracy. With the adoption of forms of e-government (electronic government) technologically dictated change is likely to accelerate.The use of information and communication technologies (ICTs) such as distributed computer systems, Internet linkages, new databases could lead to a re-conceptualization of the very way that bureaucracies work. The changes have the potential to be beneficial, even though there are issues of privacy and security yet to be dealt with. It is inarguable that management of the public sector changes with the kinds of information technology currently available. In Zimbabwe the Pr esidential Computerisation create mentally is a typical example of public sector effort.In conclusion, the traditional model of administration was an outstanding and widely emulated by governments all around the world . However with passage of time the TPA has been increasingly superseded by the NPM. The new model is not fully in place, there is now a greater focus on results rather than process, on responsibility rather than its scheme and on management rather than administration. This transition has its own challenges that it encounters during the process. The challenges include bureaucracy, political interference, meritocracy/professionalism and one best way and technological changes.It was only later,when NPM come into existence and managers became responsible for results, that there was any real thought that different methods could lead to different results and those methods and actions should be tailored to circumstances. According to Behn (1998140), in reality there is no o ne best way but many contingent answers. Nostrum ineffective remedy a remedy for a social, political, or economic problem, especially an idea or plan that is often suggested but never proved to be successfulMicrosoft Encarta 2009. 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

Compare/Contrast Organic Food Essay

Youre in a art object of a dilemma standing in front of the produce scratch of your local mart store. In virtuoso hand, youre holding ceremoniously cock-a-hoop (non- positive) Granny Smith apple. In your other hand, you have one thats been organic in ally grown. Both apples look the same and provide vitamins and fiber. The non-organic apple is a proven family favorite. But the organic apple has a tag that says USDA Organic. Does that mean its to a greater extent expensive? Grown other than? Better for you? Most organic food cost more than constituted food products.Higher prices are due to more expensive ground practices and more strict government regulations. Beca drug abuse organic farmers dont use herbicides or pesticides, many tools that control weeds and pests use more roil and man power. Conventionally grown food may be more cost effective, especially when youre on a budget, but find you always get what you pay for. How is organic farming different from conventional farming? Organic Farming applies natural fertilizers such as manure to feed soil and plants. Crops are rotated, and farmers hand weed or mulch, to wipe out weeds.They give their animals a balanced organic diet and clean living accommodations to minimize disease. Conventional farming uses chemical fertilizers to promote plant reaping and herbicides to manage weeds. The farmers give their animals antibiotics and medicines to prevent disease. Some people buy organic food to limit their exposure to these chemicals. Organic produce claims to be wellnessier than non organic produce. Both are nutritional but organic contains higher(prenominal) levels of vitamins C and A, antioxidants, and essential minerals.They are free of synthetic additives that contribute to tinder disease, cancer, osteoporosis, migraines and Alzheimers. Conventional farming uses chemicals that leave residues from more than five hundred chemical pesticides. So the next time youre standing at the grocery store wo ndering if you should buy organic or conventionally grown food, think about if the money is worth living healthy or not. The irony is that up until about fifty years ago, organic was all we had. Once farmers started to use pesticides, hormones, and antibiotics we lost what eating was all about health and nutrition.

Mass Media and Its Influence in Shaping Ideas Essay

Dramatic advances in throng communication and transportation during the past 50 years take a crap in truth created a global village a mass fiat. Things occurring anywhere ar now quickly known everywhere. Mass media both overwhelm us with information and help us to sort it out. The development of mass media has had a great influence on our lives. We have come to depend on it for information and so forth. In doing so, we allowed it to affect important aspects of our lives. Media, why is it has been a hot topic of discussion in our nowadays family?We date that in our country, Malaysia, the mass media plays a very crucial role in influencing and changing the opinion of our current society. Taking this one restoration as an example the issue that has been a viral recently, which is Public Resurrection Rally or also known as Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat. Apart of being famously opening done media in internet such as online news and videos, sure the main mass media including tele vision, radio and newspaper also made a wide coverage on this issue no matter they ar supporting it or not.However, for sure when they differ in their goals and interests, hence the instruction they report about the issues also differ. This different ways of reporting gum olibanum causes varying acceptance in society. Quoting one finding by Shanto Iyengar in his book entitle Is Anyone Responsible? while he was doing an evaluation on the effects brought by news on television concerning political issues, he found that the carriage of the issue through the news on the TV has developed an understanding of the general public towards the political paradoxs occurred.Meaning to understand here, it could be the media who the one creating the issue permitted, or it could be media too who provides the root for it. We cannot deny the enormity of the power and influence of the media in shaping the escape of thinking of our society. When there is only one issue raised by the media, then th e issue will also be followed by the society either through their leisure or through serious discussion, through their words, as well as through their status sh atomic number 18d on Facebook or Twitter.And thats why, Iyenger again mentioned together with his friend Donald Kinder in discussion That Matters, when television news focuses on a problem, the publics priorities are altered, and altered again as television news moves on to something new. Sometimes, the issue raised is only one. However, different ways of putting up the stories may cause different way of viewpoint. It may be that with dealing on an issue will make plurality have a good look toward one party or typeface.Meanwhile, it can also be that with an new(prenominal) way of handling an issue may causes people to have bad sentiment at one side. Mass media, if they are secure, then the true way of thinking can be mould among the society. Conversely, if they alter and go off from the principle they should be, the n so goes the pattern of thinking that will exist in the community. Thinking of how great is the influence of media in determining the current mindset of society media thus should be honest and trustworthy in carrying any issue or theme into the community. see the reality of nowadays media, it is not easy for them to stand as a natural institution or unequivocal to any party. When the media were in prefer of any party, then the way they play with an issue or problem will always favour to the side they support. Sometimes, mistakes and glares made by the side supported no matter how big would it be are unremarkably hidden or removed by creating offense related to the other side which have different ideology or schools of thought.Any media if it is employ for the benefit of one party, surely it will be a back talk of the party. Hence, all reports, news, issues taken will surely favour them. Media should act as a tool to educate the community. Media plays an important role in matur ation the mindset of society, whether to form a good and clean mindset or the other way around. Media should not be exploited to manipulate people to have the wrong way of thinking. The effect will lead to duping of the society itself.

Mentoring: A Way of Life -an integrative paper of the course ‘Art of Mentoring’ Essay

In this course, Art of Mentoring, I learned the relevance of learning in education, counseling ministry and self-directed learning of down students. The objective of the course was to encourage us students to use mentoring in contrastive theatres of profession and in service to the religious community. Having finished the course, I am inspired to use the concepts of mentoring in my face-to-face education and be more effective in my profession, opposite involvements, as well victimization these concepts in my personal life.I realized that mentoring is a very abundant term in a sense that it encompasses profession and organizational duties because it involves overlap of lives and experiences so as to develop wholenesss holistic identity. The term is generally utilize to refer to the relationship between a mentor, who has the mastery, experience wisdom peevishness for a profession and a mentee, who has equal passion to learn from the mentors k promptlyledge and experiences ( http//www.managementhelp.org/guiding/mentrng/mentrng.htm). Our history tells us that the concept and mode of mentoring has been long practiced even before the word came about.When men taught grassroots skills like hunting and farming, they did it done the use of modeling or mentoring (Cagle, 2004). flat in the 21st century in that respect is an increasing need of mentoring in different fields of profession. And I have come to the conclusion that mentoring is one of the most effective means of influencing and training various(prenominal)s to be dynamic and in force(p) leading, rich in their personal professions in a developing community. The ledger itself shows mentoring as a way of training individuals for leadership, as what is happening in the Church today (Cagle, 2004). . I learned that mentoring is also very secure in the academe, especially in graduate schools. To develop professional excellence, for each one student should have professors or advisers who have a stro ng cheer in their growth not just as professionals, but as dynamic individuals, and guide them to that path. Self-directed adult learning on the other hand, although it is more informal and not necessarily academic, outhouse also be more effective when used with mentoring. As Christians, we are also called to regularize the society with godlike leadership. Christian leaders in the community fag use mentoring to train and guide their subordinates in promoting righteous and godly leadership. I believe that people in the society are looking for individuals who hobo mentor and motivate them to be better and excellent individuals. Now I understand that I have an important role in the evolution of my own sphere of influence, where I backside help my colleagues to be godly citizens by mentoring them through the use of the Bible and living a godly lifestyle. I then realized that this is one way of personal leadership, that through a deep understanding of godly values and good lifes tyle, I can mentor other individuals to be good citizens and future leaders in our community. Now with the use of mentoring, church growth, especially in folksy areas, can accelerate speedyly (Cagle, 2004). Training and mentoring effective church leaders will result to a growth in their individual churches. As Jesus Christ taught his disciples by mentoring, so they followed his examples and this paved the way for rapid church growth. Mentoring, which also has the characteristic of using motivation and the boosting of self-esteem, can be used in having an effective counseling ministry, where ministers could help and guide a person to his full potential. After learning about mentoring and having my personal insights on the method of effective influence, I now believe I can influence my peers better through the art of mentoring. I believe mentoring can occur in two ways. One way could start with an individual who needs another individual capable of guiding and mentoring him to his ful lest potential. Then having embed the suitable person, the mentor now decides to accept the responsibility of guiding and the mentee.And from there the relationship would develop into a fruitful, guided growth of the individual. On the other hand, mentoring can start with an older person, who sees the potential in an individual, to develop and with whom he can impart his skills and knowledge in a specific field of profession or life in general. Then now it is up to the chosen individual to accept the mentors offer to be guided and influenced for his personal excellent growth as an individual. And when finally accepted, the mentoring execute now begins. Although mentoring can be used in large descale institutions like universities and the Church, I believe it is also a way of influencing our peers and colleagues with our personal lifestyles. Like what I said earlier, I believe that mentoring is also a form of leadership. Now, having learned the concept and art of mentoring, I am n ow confident to influence the young people I know to be good citizens as well as future leaders in the community.ReferenceCagle, J. (2004). Journal of Asian Missions. Pp. 235-244 (March, 2004)http//www.managementhelp.org/guiding/mentrng/mentrng.htm

The Two Visions Of St. Augustine :: essays research papers

A common thread of faith and close runs done the two different theological visions of St. Augustine in his Confessions. This can be seen by comparing the ascent, the vision, the descent, and language in the two visions. Although other parts of the schoolbook will be referred to, the central part of these visions are as follows deal 1 "... in an instant of awe, my mind attained to the sight of the divinity fudge who IS. Then, at last, I caught sight of your invisible spirit, as it is known by means of your creatures. But I had no strength to fix my gaze upon them. In my weakness I recoiled and fell back..." Vision 2 "And while we verbalise of the Eternal Wisdom, longing for it and straining for it with all the strength of our hearts, for one fugitive instant we reached out and touched it. Then, with a sigh, leaving our spiritual draw bound to it, we returned to the sound of our own speech,..." (Page 197)The two excerpts are written in similar styles. Both cont ain strong Platonist language, such as references to the delineate (the image of climbing to knowledge in the second vision, page 197), the spelunk ("confusion of images," in the outset vision, page 151), and the sun (the transient bore of the first vision, page 152). The language in each vision in like manner refers to the mode of ascent. In the first vision, Augustine makes his ascent by reason, seen through dustup like, "my thoughts," "the power of reason," and "bodily sense." In the second vision, Augustine and his mother, Monica, make the ascent by the power of love. This is seen by words such as, "flame of love," "our hearts," and "strength of our hearts." (Page 197)The method of ascent to each vision is significant when considering the role that faith and reason play in each. Together, the method of ascent, faith, and reason represent Augustines journey to faith. The first ascent is necessarily made by the mind an d reason, necessarily because Augustine has not yet received faith, which would enable him to go farther. (Page 151) Augustine begins his ascent with questions about the nature of his mind. He tries to answer these through the consideration of material things, the soul, and reason itself. (Page 151) Everything that he deliberates is arrived at by a reasonable chain of thought that takes limit in his mind.

Trip to Japan Essay -- essays research papers

It was May 25, 2001. What was suck in however, was the fact that I was soon going to be on my throw in a country where I did not write out the lecture or the people that I would be meeting there and staying with. The adrenaline rushed through me as I packed the last of my things and ran issue of the door. I closed the door to my house and jumped in the car. The idea of deviation America and going to Japan seemed to really not have strike me yet, but now that I look back I feel that I had to feel it. I think that the things that I was feeling was such(prenominal) a blob of mixed emotions that I really did not know how to feel so I will just say that I was excited. At the airport I met my best friend and two otherwise friends of mine from school. We would all be traveling together, most all the time. The only when things th...