Home is where the heart is

I already feel bad enough for not updating- so don't shout at me!

It's just really hard to write all this. Reliving the memories. It's a bad sign when I get upset with reading my previous entry.

So I'm home. Have been for a while. I guess I have to go back a few weeks to update you..

Thursday 30 th June
Leaving day. Everything went wrong. I didn't have to leave until the afternoon so I had some time just to chill and get everything together. Charlie called and said he was swamped with over due paper work and so couldn't come to the airport. I nearly broke into tears on the phone. I did get to go visit him and Marge and Eva at home so that was nice. Hard to say goodbye though. They are part of my family.

Two hours later, and a movie of course in the car, I was at Orlando Airport. During check in I found out that my flight in London arrived at Gatwick and took off from Heathrow. Can you imagine how stressed out I was? I think the guy noticed cause he gave Dawn a pass to let her walk me to the gate. Thank goodness.

I did have to take 9 pounds out of one of my suitcases. We managed to smuggle it into hand luggage. I really did have way too much hand luggage! When we got to security I couldn't even get my laptop out cause the zip had broken (probably from over packing) so the guy cut my bag! So much stress.

I finally calmed down and we went to get something to eat. I thought plane food was bad! Then we walked to the gate. So hard to say goodbye to Dawn and Becca. I couldn't even say goodbye cause I was crying so much. I'm glad that I still hear from them, but it's tough not hearing their voices every day or seeing their smiling faces (some of the time in Becca's case.)

So I got on the plane. The first flight was ok, except that I cried the entire time. I listened to music on my iPod and looked out the window. Odd how looking out the window and watching the clouds was comforting to me. Normally I'm too scared to look out the window. I think the fact that I felt closer to God cause of how beautiful it was, made it easier or something.

Second flight was a rush to get to. I couldn't get my hand luggage to fit in the overhead compartment so I had to rearrange more stuff and then ask a nice guy to help me. Damsel in distress! Then the wee woman that was sitting beside started talking to me. And then a really cute, but puzzled guy, walked up. He must have been a French tennis player! Apparently the little old lady (82 year old who was traveling alone without her glasses) was meant to be in 35D not 19F. Darn, the cute guy was a gentleman too and told her she could stay put. Guess it's a good thing cause I wouldn't have wanted him to see me asleep!

The wee lady was lovely though. She talked all the time and offered to buy me wine. Guess it's cause I let her put hand luggage at my feet, oh and I filled in her customs declaration cause she was blind without her glasses! Apparently the limo driver rushed her and so she left them sitting on the kitchen table.

The flight was delayed for an hour due to the thunder and lightning, which I already knew about cause I landed in it during the other flight. We finally took off for our 8 hour flight. I managed to sleep like 4 hours even though there was an evil bright light above my head. I ate some breakfast-force fed myself- and then the plane landed and I started into the craziest part of my journey.

I arrived at the airport and got money out to buy a bus ticket to Heathrow. I also attempted to buy water with all the change I had in the world and managed to get sparkling. EUGH. By 1 o'clock I was on the bus and talking to my brother on the phone. He got in touch with BMI and found out I needed to be checked in 40 minutes before my flight took off. One hour and forty minutes left until that.

I arrived at Heathrow at 2:30 pm. Ten minutes left! The journey was quite pleasant as I chatted with a girl who was going to New York.

I managed to get all my luggage onto another trolley and pushed with all my might to wait for the lift. Once I got off the lift all my luggage fell off! So after re-organising I kept on pushing. If you've ever been in Heathrow you'll know that there are ramps from the bus station to the terminal. They are steep when you are pushing a trolley with two suitcases (both 32 kg) one carry on suitcase (apparently 20 kg!!!) and then a few little extra things.. I've learnt my lesson about traveling light! I was there for 10 months though. I think that's quite impressive. Anyway, I pushed the stupid thing up like 5 ramps, got on another lift, finally got to the desk 5 minutes late.

Thankfully they let me on, with a little bit of reorganising of stuff cause apparently the other suitcase weighed too much this time! When did it gain weight?

When I was onboard I thought I was going to die. So happy to be sitting, but I really was tired and SO hot. Sitting beside me was a Queens Medical student. I think she just graduated. She was so lovely and I couldn't have been happier to have her beside me. On the other side there was a guy who never spoke, but that's ok. The plane was delayed taking off so I decided to rest my head. I fell asleep and didn't wake up until we were landing in Belfast! After another fight with my luggage and a trolley, I finally handed it over to my sister and then collapsed in the car!

In some ways I'm glad to be home. I've met up with lots of people- Natasha, Vicky, Nicky, Pam, some more people at S:M, Neil, Jenny, Hassan, Stephen, Jayne... It's been hectic, but good to keep busy. I've been missing my host family and many friends in Florida. It truly is a second home. I can't wait to go back and visit. Obviously I will be packing as little as possible and I hope to have a companion cause there's nothing worse than travelling alone. Maybe I'll get to go to Saddleback again next year too!

I'm glad to have my sister L-J home for holiday in Jamaica. I missed her terribly. We have a really good connection, having shared a room for 15 years.

Anyway, I could write more but this is already overload! I promise to keep you updated even though I'm technically not "at USA" anymore! I will need to talk about the complications of being home and being homesick at the same time.