coming home

Wednesday morning, I woke up before 5 so I could be on the first subway train at5:30. I got some funny looks over my giant suitcase. I had to transfer to get to the right stop and literally walk straight onto the train. When we got to the final metro stop, I followed another girl with a suitcase through the dark to a booth. I didn't realize there was a whole troupe behind us. After I bought my ticket, I turned around and saw a line of at least 30 people behind us. My bus left in 5 minutes. I hurried over and loaded my suitcase on. I slept most of the ride.
The Beauvais airport was smaller than Little Rock! I was stunned. My suitcase was a tiny bit too heavy so I moved some stuff to my backpack. You're only allowed 15 kilos on ryanair. My flight left close to on time. In Dublin, I collected my bags and then turned them in again to Aer Lingus. I went outside just to breathe some real air and then went to the food court. I had breakfast-- a bagel with freaky "cream cheese" in chunks and then paniced. My boarding card said the gate closed in about 1/2 an hour! I grabbed a sandwhich and hurried off to security.
I bought a book and some candy and hurried to the gate. Really? The gate closes more than an hour before departure? Yes. Turns out that US customs is in the Irish airport. They ask you stupid questions on this end and then make you sit and wait for an hour+. I was not happy. There weren't any stores, just chairs and a vending machine. I bought a beuno and tried to get a second, but it got stuck. I figured if I got a third, the stuck one and the next one would come. The machine ATE my money. I had no more coins so I basically paid 3 times the normal price for one bar! That certainly didn't help my mood.
They finally started to board the plane. The line stopped moving when I got to the front for about 15 minutes. Is this a joke? WHY? When they finally let us through, they patted everyone down and RE-checked everyone's bag. They found my knitting needles and wanted to throw them away. The woman who patted me down tried to rip them out of my project. NO!! I started to cry so they let me keep them. They gave them to a crew member on board to return to me later.
The girl who got them gave them to someone else and told me the row in front of me had 4 empty seats and I could lay across them to sleep. Great! After the doors had been closed, my knitting was handed to me. The girl said they're so strict! and seemed to think it was ridiculous as well. I slept lots but magically woke up just in time for the lunch meal. When I arrived in Chicago, I was surprised how little I had to do to recheck my bag. I had to find it but then only wheel it about 50 feet.
I took the tram to my terminal and then went through security again. Then I had about 3 hours to wait. My laptop was almost out of battery so I didn't pay the $6.00 to get internet. My flight was delayed 20 minutes then 40. I paniced. What if it gets delayed more? What if it gets cancelled? What if I have to wait until morning? I couldn't handle it. I got change to use a pay phone and call mom. I needed to be soothed. However, the pay phone didn't work. It told me mom's phone and dad's work were invalid numbers. No they aren't! A man had apparently seen my frusteration and came over to give me his iphone to use. I did. I only felt a tiny bit better afterward.
There was another flight leaving RIGHT then to San Francisco. I asked if I could get on there but the ladies sort of ignored me, saying it was a different route. No it isn't! It's a plane going West to the Bay Area! I just need to go HOME!!!!! I had dinner then hovered by my gate until its sign for San Jose disappeared. Excuse em?! The gate had moved so I did too.
The flight was delayed another 20 minutes then 15. By the time they boarded us, it was starting to snow. OH NO! I flashed on the idea of being stuck for the night all over again. They had to wait for some sort of spray to deter teh snow but we did take off.
I did finally get to San Jose. Mom and Dad were there dutifully waiting for me. THey love me a lot to come all the way out here in the middle of the night to collect me.
We got home about 29 and a half hours after I'd left my hotel in Paris. What an excruciating day! Steve and Megan were their adorable selves, but already older than when I'd last seen them. Poor things. I was glad to be home and didn't know if my bed was cozy or not I slept so hard.