Home at last, home at last

Thank God Almighty I’m home at last.

-11:23pm Dallas time, 19.7

Bonding through Boarding

Yay!  I have a ticket!

Plane landed and I started getting nervous about time.  Passport control took a while.  The small room everyone was being pushed through was overheated and had no a/c, so they were only letting a few people get off the plane at once.  But that meant everyone was standing on a boiling airplane, so that didn’t really help matters at all.

Then, trying to get my bag, it kept not coming and not coming.  Saw it, grabbed it, took off.  They didn’t care to check my tea and chocolate, so customs was nothing.  Found teh gate easy enough and the woman agent gave me a ticket on the spot.

I’ve talked to Dad (taking Thomas to a Ranger’s game!) but not Mom.  Reapplied (or rather applied) make up and deoderant while bitching with an older American woman about noisy babies and the cost of London, haha.

Just talked to Mom and she made me miss London even more.  I have so many stories to tell her!  She laughed when I mentioned Cifi is Greek.

And gosh how applicable my fortune was!  I got this fortune the week before I left:

“Seek friendship and you will find someone special this month.”

It’s amazing how many wonderful people I met in London, and how many friends I made.  And how much fun I had!  It’s so much easier for me to be happy and nice in London than it is in Boston or Dallas.

Well, I think they’ll probably start boarding the flight soon.  Almost home!  Except I wish I was back in London.

-5:59pm RDU-time, 19.7

I watched Blades of Glory and liked it

Getting close!  About 30 minutes until we reach RDU, and then the really stressful part of the day begins.  As if it wasn’t arleady rather stressful to begin with.  I’ll land, get my bag, and go to the connections counter.  Mention even at the gate that I’m D1 and a connection.  I’m just still really nervous.  With the flight this morning, I wanted to get on, but there was still another flight.  With RDU-DFW, this is it.  If I don’t make this flight, I’ll be stuck at the airport overnight, at least twelve hours.  Been there, done that, not fun.

Please, dear Lord, let me make this flight.  So far, today has been as good a day of travel as is really possible.  I’ve even seen some good movies.  Please don’t let the bottom be about to drop out of that.

Thirty-one minutes.  Ears started popping a while ago, so we’re definitely descending.  We’re over Virginia right now.  Go figure.  I wish I was either home already or still in London with Amberlee.

Anxiety is setting in.  Please let me make this flight without any problems.

-4pm, 19.7

Coffee, universal happiness

I’m on the flight in my bulkhead seat.  It’s freezing cold, though, and my head is hurting from a lack of coffee and food.  I wish I had got some in the airport, over-priced as it would have been.  Hopefully they’ll bring us drinks and a snack soon.  All overseas flights get at least one snack, right?

We’re a bit behind schedule.  I don’t think we left until a little after one (I was asleep).  Captain said we should get in around 4:30 and my flight to DFW leaves at 6:20.  Hopefully customs and passport control don’t take long and I make it on teh flight okay.  Hopefully.

Ugh it’s so cold!  I need coffee!  And food!

Dollars and pounds and euros, oh my!

Went in search of food and drink, but I really didn’t want to spend any more money, so instead I exchanged my pounds and euros.  I kinda regret that, though, since the rate will probably only get worse, and I’ll need them in the fall anyways.  Worse than that, thoguh, is that they charged a rather hefty commission.  I was working myself up enough abotu it that I threw the receipt away and I’m convincing myself that the rates would have been worse in the states.  I just shouldn’t have exchanged.

And I am proud of myself that I resisted my initial temptation to get the internet (T-Mobile).  $10.40 (5pounds) for an hour is a lot!  I’m managing okay, though.

Did I really get up six and a half hours ago?  It feels simultaneously too long and too short ago.

I think I’ll stop worrying so much about money once I get home and can focus on hos much I have, not how much I have spent.  Plus, I have a paycheck and at least one week of tips waiting.  Some ebay sales to make.  I’m going to be okay.  I think my brain just has to obsess over something, usually food or money.  At the moment, it’s money.

Ugh, getting so sleepy . . . nap time until I board?  Si!

-11:32am, 19.7

Cool kids go to RDU

Got my seat to RDU!  A bulkhead.  She gave me the best seat possible.  I’m already listed for RDU-DFW, so they told me to keep my ticket stub so I can speed check in as a through passenger, which gives me another level or priority.  I’m concerned though that my bag is going to get lost.  Do I have to get it again in RDU or will it automatically move to my next flight?

-10:33am, 19.7

Disappointments at Gate 63

So I didn’t make the early flight.  This sucks but I very much expected it.  Made friends with the security lady, who came to check how my luck had gone.  Made friends with a man who works for teh US gov’t and has traveled to 63 countries since January, who talked to me and encouraged me.  Another cute airport boy joked with me about doing all the work around here (he was at the opening and then came to work the gate).  He laughed that he’ll even be flying the plane.  A very pretty agent at the desk was also extremely kind to me. 

Oh!  And that gay flight attendant from the flight over here is on that flight, but he didn’t remember me when I said hello, and was actually very rude to me.  Looked at me like I was some total loser invading his space.

Despite my connections, however, I’m still here and trying for the 12:45 to RDU.  Apparently that’s filled up a lot too.

The most frustrating part is that this couple wanted to give me their seats!  They paid for business but were put in coach and were not happy.  However, their bags had already been loaded, whereas mine has not, so the ticket lady wouldn’t take the delay to get their bags off.  Which put them into a sticky situation, because international flights aren’t allowed to fly luggage without passengers, but the passengers didn’t want to board the plane, but the agent didn’t want to take the delay.  Can you make someone board an airplane?

There are four others so far waiting for the next flight with me.  Hopefully they aren’t going to interfere with me getting on.  I wish I had let that government guy buy me the drink . . .

-10:21 am, 19.7

Truer words were never spoken

Plane just arrived.  I envy the poeple getting off.  It’s a great thing to get where you’re going.

A morning stroll to Gatwick

Well I’m sitting outside Gate 63, waiting to learn my fate.  If I don’t make the flight, I’ll probably never see that bag that I had to check again.

I was awake long before my alarm went off this morning.  Sleept was fitful under stress and noise from roommates.  Check out went fine, and the walk to Notting Hill Station could even be classified as pleasant.  Waited twenty minutes with four other kids around my age for the first train at 5:32.  The ride was quiet (literally) and uneventful, and I made the six o’clock without difficulty.  Maneuvered my way through the airport and got to the AA counter just after 6:30 only to find they weren’t ready to open.  So me and a line full of Americans watched the employees amble about setting up.  Finally, at seven, they were ready.  I had to relist myself, since Dad had originally listed me for a later flight, and didn’t know this until I had already waited in line to check in.  This cute employee guy, who made it quite clear he favored me, let me cut back in line and chatted, and even tried to help me figure a way to “trick” both my bags through security as a single bag.  No such luck.  They told me my bag will be yanked if I don’t make the flight, but does that ever actually happen?  Please God, let me make this flight.  Seeing as it’s over-sold by seven seats, making this flight would be undeniable proof, I feel, of the power of prayer.

Went straight to the gate, though it doesn’t open until a quarter to nine.  I made friends with one of the counter ladies, who said she’ll do her best to get me on the flight.  I’m hoping she means, “If there’s a spare ticket, you’ll get it.”

So here I am, eight am, anxious as hell that I might not get home and might never see my bag again.  Falling asleep; haven’t eaten; worse: haven’t had coffee.

I’m not going to let mysekf worry, or so I say.  I’ve prayed and I’m sure Mom and Jerry prayed before bed.  But even the best of Christians miss flights and lose luggage and I can’t even claim to be one of these.

-7:58 am, 19.7

A sorrowful farewell

Anything to update on before I try for a little shut-eye and relaxation?  Not really.

After puttering around in the park a bit more, Amberlee went with me to check into my hostel.  It’s definitely not as bad as I feared, but by no means a luxury.  I’m in a 20-bed dorm with almost all boys.

We walked around for a bit; I bought an over-priced coffee.  We couldn’t think of anything really, so we went back to Belsize to talk and get online.  Picked at dinner there then it all took soon was time to go.  Amberlee walked me to the station and gave me her daypass to use.  We never got to the Bacardis, which sucks.  Out 1.58pounds for it.  But she’s got me plenty in exchange, so no worries.  It broke my heart to say good-bye to her, asit’s breaking my heart to say good-bye to London.  I feel as though I’ll see both again, though.  I hope.

Oh, funny time on the train.  I saw this really beautiful boy on the platform while me and Amberlee were on the train.  He must have felt my eyes on him because he looked, but then he kept looking back at me every few seconds.  I pointed him out to Amberlee who waved the next time.  I stared laughing and yelled, “Busted!” and he blushed and looked down.  Wouldn’t make eye contact so all Amberlee got in the pictures she snapped was the top of his head.

Now I’m in bed, dressed and packed for the morning.  I have my oyster card for the trip from Notting Hill to Victoria, my train ticket to Gatwick.  Everything is in two bags and there’s nothing that can’t be carried on board.  I’ll try for the earlier flight and hopefully (please God) make it on.  I meant to look up when the Gatwick Express starts running -surely by or at six, which is the one I’m shooting for.  A nonstop would be wonderful, I’d get in earlier, and I can just exchange my pounds and euros when I get to the states.

I don’t think the hard part will be getting to the airport.  I’m slightly nervous (after Luftansa) to be listing myself.  But hopefully I won’t have problems.  No, the part I”m really nervous about is handling it if I don’t make the first flight, or if I do get stuck in RDU for the night.

Please, God, keep me safe in my travels.  Keep it smooth, help me handle things appropriately and please, please help me get home.  Amen.

Now I badly need to get to sleep -or at least rest.  Good night and pray for me please.

-10:13, 18.7