Ninety-one and Outta There!
The magic number. Ninety-one is the total of my weight plus that allowed for each bag I was bringing home with me. I hauled out the infamous scale one last time, the same one that the others had used last spring before their respective flights. It was now my turn to weigh my chances as I packed, re-packed, re-weighed numerous times, repeating the process until I was reasonably sure I would be under the limit for my flight home. I ended up mailing an additional 20 pound box from the post office that morning. It would have been cheaper to pay overweight at the airport but I didn't want to deal with the extra weight. I didn't bother weighing my backpack and carry-on messenger bag; I already knew they were heavy. When I checked in at Lufthansa, one bag was .7 kilos over the limit and the second was .8, but both allowed. Whew, two bags lighter, one step closer to getting home, and praise God for wheelies! And if you're out there doing some quick math to try to figure out how much I weigh, SHAME ON YOU!
In addition to packing I was also cleaning out Sona's flat, readying it for her arrival at the end of July. As I worked I was reflective but also in disbelief that my great adventure was coming to an end. So much has happened over the past eleven months to me, and in the world in general. Some of it depressing, like watching the value of the dollar go down month after month, other parts were exciting like Leah being pregnant and having Uma last June 27. I was having laptop problems so was relegated to blogging at an internet cafe, much the same way I started last August. Likewise the temperature was pushing 100 degrees, just like last summer. It seemed like I had come full circle, but with no real ending.
I had just returned to BA from my final and best travel experience, going to Girona to see Christian and Leah's bundle of love, Uma. She is my first grandchild, and I may have mentioned to some of you a few (thousand) times that she is gorgeous. I know it sounds trite but she literally changed everyday, and it was so fun to see the explosion of development happening right before our eyes.I arrived when she was six days old and stayed just over two weeks. Leah folks were also there so there was lots of grandparenting going on. Christian had been there for Uma's birth but had to leave for the Tour when she was only one week old. I think I'd have to say he rode the Prologue with his head up his _ _ _, an anatomical impossibility, but you get the idea. Once settled in to the rhythm of the race, however, he is now riding strongly. Leah and Uma went to visit him last Thursday since the stage was only about 2 hours drive away from Girona. Uma got paraded around but some of the riders were afraid to hold her. Bad-ass professional athletes, my eye!
I flew Ryan Air, a discount airlines, and had to go first to Milan/Bergamo with a poor connection in order to get to Girona. I stayed overnight on the way out and my planned Italian shopping trip fizzled because all stores in Italy open at 3:00 on Mondays, just when I was leaving. Going home was also long but at least it didn't require overnight. Starting in November, Ryan Air has just announced it will open a Bratislava-Girona route. Figures.
My buddy Branislav ferried me to the airport one last time, and just as he had done with Kathy, he didn't charge me. We talked on the way and he told me that he had already been contacted by one of next year's Fulbrighters for an airport transfer. Branislav's taxi business had changed over the past year also. He has doubled his drivers (16), although he ALWAYS picks us up personally, kind of like having a kind but dependable relative there for you.
Unfortunately, the rest of the trip did not go so smoothly. A delay in Munich caused me to miss not one but two connections at Dulles. While waiting for security I was told I had special screening and placed with others in a sort of cattle-like holding pen. Alright, we thought! We're getting special treatment and we DESERVE it! Uh, no, we're actually waiting an interminable amount of time to get screened by a really gruff person AND DON'T TOUCH YOUR BAG! Almost all of us penned cattle missed our flights, so for me it was then 2 hours in line at United trying to get out on the next flight, which of course was the following morning. I grabbed a few hours sleep on an airport bench with all the other losers and managed to get on the first flight, stand-by. Nancy was "thrilled" to get my call at 5:00 AM Chicago time, letting her know I made the flight And just like Branislav she didn't charge me, although she is WAY cuter than he, and speaks MUCH better english. So OK, no charge, but I owe her big time for this and approximately one million other things. Dakujem, Nancy!
Looking out the window as we made our approach, I saw Lake Michigan, that stunning Chicago skyline and I'm pretty sure construction on the Dan Ryan. (Always a sure bet.) No one on the plane clapped when we landed, but I almost cried! Chicago! Home! I did it; I'm no longer "there" but "here" and does that ever sound good! See you on Monday!
In addition to packing I was also cleaning out Sona's flat, readying it for her arrival at the end of July. As I worked I was reflective but also in disbelief that my great adventure was coming to an end. So much has happened over the past eleven months to me, and in the world in general. Some of it depressing, like watching the value of the dollar go down month after month, other parts were exciting like Leah being pregnant and having Uma last June 27. I was having laptop problems so was relegated to blogging at an internet cafe, much the same way I started last August. Likewise the temperature was pushing 100 degrees, just like last summer. It seemed like I had come full circle, but with no real ending.
I had just returned to BA from my final and best travel experience, going to Girona to see Christian and Leah's bundle of love, Uma. She is my first grandchild, and I may have mentioned to some of you a few (thousand) times that she is gorgeous. I know it sounds trite but she literally changed everyday, and it was so fun to see the explosion of development happening right before our eyes.I arrived when she was six days old and stayed just over two weeks. Leah folks were also there so there was lots of grandparenting going on. Christian had been there for Uma's birth but had to leave for the Tour when she was only one week old. I think I'd have to say he rode the Prologue with his head up his _ _ _, an anatomical impossibility, but you get the idea. Once settled in to the rhythm of the race, however, he is now riding strongly. Leah and Uma went to visit him last Thursday since the stage was only about 2 hours drive away from Girona. Uma got paraded around but some of the riders were afraid to hold her. Bad-ass professional athletes, my eye!
I flew Ryan Air, a discount airlines, and had to go first to Milan/Bergamo with a poor connection in order to get to Girona. I stayed overnight on the way out and my planned Italian shopping trip fizzled because all stores in Italy open at 3:00 on Mondays, just when I was leaving. Going home was also long but at least it didn't require overnight. Starting in November, Ryan Air has just announced it will open a Bratislava-Girona route. Figures.
My buddy Branislav ferried me to the airport one last time, and just as he had done with Kathy, he didn't charge me. We talked on the way and he told me that he had already been contacted by one of next year's Fulbrighters for an airport transfer. Branislav's taxi business had changed over the past year also. He has doubled his drivers (16), although he ALWAYS picks us up personally, kind of like having a kind but dependable relative there for you.
Unfortunately, the rest of the trip did not go so smoothly. A delay in Munich caused me to miss not one but two connections at Dulles. While waiting for security I was told I had special screening and placed with others in a sort of cattle-like holding pen. Alright, we thought! We're getting special treatment and we DESERVE it! Uh, no, we're actually waiting an interminable amount of time to get screened by a really gruff person AND DON'T TOUCH YOUR BAG! Almost all of us penned cattle missed our flights, so for me it was then 2 hours in line at United trying to get out on the next flight, which of course was the following morning. I grabbed a few hours sleep on an airport bench with all the other losers and managed to get on the first flight, stand-by. Nancy was "thrilled" to get my call at 5:00 AM Chicago time, letting her know I made the flight And just like Branislav she didn't charge me, although she is WAY cuter than he, and speaks MUCH better english. So OK, no charge, but I owe her big time for this and approximately one million other things. Dakujem, Nancy!
Looking out the window as we made our approach, I saw Lake Michigan, that stunning Chicago skyline and I'm pretty sure construction on the Dan Ryan. (Always a sure bet.) No one on the plane clapped when we landed, but I almost cried! Chicago! Home! I did it; I'm no longer "there" but "here" and does that ever sound good! See you on Monday!
posted by Joan Vande Velde @ 1:16 PM
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