Sorry, its been a while since I have written....
I got back to good ol' sunny CA 2 days before my bday, September 18th. I was planning on traveling more but it just seemed like the right time to come back to start an internship I had planned on before I left, to tutor in time for the new school year, and to see my grandmother who had a cancerous kidney removed.
Boy was I glad to be back after what seemed like 24 hours of planes trains and automobiles traveling from Barcelona to SF. What a day, I have to tell you the night before I left we had the bottle of red wine I brought from Kansas, where I was visiting my Grandma and cousin (my Mom's family) before I left for Spain (I was actually in Europe since May then came home to visit family in Kansas in July for a week then flew straight to Spain). SO we had the wine, we exchanged gifts-- I gave the girls big pink dream catchers with a story about native americans attached. They loved it. Then that night I slept in the girls playroom on the couch so I wouldn't wake the family upstairs since I had to leave really early in the morning. Their house has huge wall length windows and there were shadows and noises I had never seen or heard before so I definitely did not sleep well that night. I woke up at the butt crack of dawn, caught a taxi and flew to London from Barcelona. It was great, I had a nice conversation with the taxi driver who was the quinessential Spanish man with his accent, voice, and politics talk, such a good goodbye. Then I get to the airport, and after like 2 hours of repacking my bag the night before so it was exactly 45 pounds, in the security line they took by freshly bought local honey jar away...I put it in my carry on to minimize my luggage weight, and yes they are still super strict about liquids. Then from London I flew straight to SF and was so glad to see my dad pick me up at the airport.
I wish the story went like that.
No. In London, it goes like this. So I arrive to heathrow, a serious mad house, and I have to change airlines which means I have to get my bag from the belt and wait in the customs line with all the other foreigners so they can stamp my passport to allow me into the country. I wouldn't have to do this if I didn't need to get my bag. So I am in line foreveeeeeeerrrrrrr and I realize I may miss my flight so after about 30 minutes of waiting I ask the line manager to put me in the front of the line because my flight leaves in like 45 minutes. He does just as I ask, while I am over here thinking why didn't I do that in the first place. And he didn't even ask to look at my boarding ticket- awesome!
So I am running underground wheeling my 45 lb suitcase and my 100 lb shoulder bag (okay maybe it was only 30 lbs) and running on moving walking after moving walkway to change terminals to get from regional airlines to international ones. I finally get to United to check in- there is a 45 minute cut off to do so. This nice lady says oh your just in time. I check my bag in and she goes "oh you have a lot in your shoulder bag, do you want to put some in your checked suitcase?"
WHAT????
After spending hours making sure it didn't go over the weight limit, I was like what?
She goes, oh ya just shove it in there. Devon "but won't it go over the limit?" Her "oh I don't care." Love her, but hate her.
So I shove my heavy stuff in the suitcase for much relief on my hands since I don't have to lug the suitcase around anymore and now that my huge purse / shoulder bag is so much lighter. Meanwhile, when I fly United on my mom's benefits, I have to dress in business attire since I never know if they will put me in first class or not (since sometimes if there are only seats in first they will put me there- I just never know). SO I am all sweaty and red in nice cloths about to have to peel them off at the security line.
Finally I make it to the gate and I am the last one on the flight and after all of that, I am in coach! 12 hours later...with my heavy suitcase again and heading home.
Who know what's in store now!