Today's blog is a bit of a back-track in time, but I just found this picture in my archives and figured it would make for a nice story...I don't even think my family has heard all of this one!
This picture was taken from my plane window in Houston back on December 29, 2010. There was a lot of rain in Houston that day, which delayed my flight for about two hours (most of it after we had boarded the plane). Anyways, after sitting there quite bored for 45 minutes or so and having the pilot make 3 or 4 announcements that it shouldn't be too much longer, the clouds finally started to clear and ground activity started to pick up some more. I looked out my window (I had the window seat) and was greeted with this view...a gorgeous double-rainbow! What a way to start off a long-term trip overseas!
It was obvious throughout my travel over here that I was well Provided for. About 30 minutes into our on-the-ground waiting time, the guy at the end of my row (the only other person in my three-seat row) moved to the other side of the plane to sit with his buddies, so for the first 10 hour flight, I had three seats all to myself! I was sitting towards the back of the plane, which was soon designated the "child section", so there were about three or four babies (2 and younger) and several kiddos below 10 flying in the eight rows behind me with their poor parents. Fortunately, I like kids and I'm a heavy sleeper, so the uncomfortable plane seats kept me from sleeping more than the fussy babies did. I only hope and pray that if I ever fly with small children someday, the other passengers will do their best to be understanding and not make me feel any worse about the out-of-my-control situation than I already will at that point (especially since I know very well not one of those parents got even close to the amount of sleep I did)!
I was supposed to have a 5-hour layover in London (Heathrow), but since my first flight left late and it took a long time to de-plane, my wait was more like two hours! I made it through security again just fine and had time to wash my face, brush my teeth, re-apply deoderant (etc....you know...start feeling like a real human being again), and email home letting them know I'd made it that far just fine.
My second flight was packed full! I again had the window seat, but sat next to a young lady from Poland, and had our row finished off with a good Southern man from South Carolina. The man was passing through Dubai (not even leaving the airport) on his way to another middle eastern country for a business trip. The girl from Poland was moving to Dubai for six months to work as a belly-dancer! We all talked for a little while about our lives, but then spent most of the flight watching our own movies, etc. The girl and I ended up waiting in line together to get our passports stamped, but I think we were both too nervous and tired to talk a whole lot (I'm still kicking myself for not getting her name and mobile* number). She ended up having to go back downstairs to get her work visa stamped, but since I had people waiting for me outside I couldn't stay and wait with her :(.
I got through customs just fine, wrangled my three big shipping totes onto a cart, walked down the hallway like a scared little kitten, through the doors, spotted a beaming familiar face in the crowd of people outside and had just enough time to see a brightly painted sign with my name on it being displayed by little miss Evan before I was enveloped in a huge Jerri K hug! The rest of the trip home was a bit of a blur--I do know Kevin got my trunks all out to the vehicle and loaded up for me, Evan talked a lot about Justin Bieber (her celebrity heart-throb), and Jerri K smiled a lot and kept looking at me like I might vanish into thin air :)! Then, we were driving through the city...tons of bright lights (it was a bit after midnight on December 30th--so, technically early December 31st...Dubai is 10 hours ahead of Texas), and lots of tall buildings and "spaghetti" (overpasses). Then we were home...got my trunks brought in and sat and talked with Jerri K until 3 in the morning! I unpacked just enough for the night and slept like a baby until 10 or so the next morning! It was lovely.
It was obvious throughout my travel over here that I was well Provided for. About 30 minutes into our on-the-ground waiting time, the guy at the end of my row (the only other person in my three-seat row) moved to the other side of the plane to sit with his buddies, so for the first 10 hour flight, I had three seats all to myself! I was sitting towards the back of the plane, which was soon designated the "child section", so there were about three or four babies (2 and younger) and several kiddos below 10 flying in the eight rows behind me with their poor parents. Fortunately, I like kids and I'm a heavy sleeper, so the uncomfortable plane seats kept me from sleeping more than the fussy babies did. I only hope and pray that if I ever fly with small children someday, the other passengers will do their best to be understanding and not make me feel any worse about the out-of-my-control situation than I already will at that point (especially since I know very well not one of those parents got even close to the amount of sleep I did)!
I was supposed to have a 5-hour layover in London (Heathrow), but since my first flight left late and it took a long time to de-plane, my wait was more like two hours! I made it through security again just fine and had time to wash my face, brush my teeth, re-apply deoderant (etc....you know...start feeling like a real human being again), and email home letting them know I'd made it that far just fine.
My second flight was packed full! I again had the window seat, but sat next to a young lady from Poland, and had our row finished off with a good Southern man from South Carolina. The man was passing through Dubai (not even leaving the airport) on his way to another middle eastern country for a business trip. The girl from Poland was moving to Dubai for six months to work as a belly-dancer! We all talked for a little while about our lives, but then spent most of the flight watching our own movies, etc. The girl and I ended up waiting in line together to get our passports stamped, but I think we were both too nervous and tired to talk a whole lot (I'm still kicking myself for not getting her name and mobile* number). She ended up having to go back downstairs to get her work visa stamped, but since I had people waiting for me outside I couldn't stay and wait with her :(.
I got through customs just fine, wrangled my three big shipping totes onto a cart, walked down the hallway like a scared little kitten, through the doors, spotted a beaming familiar face in the crowd of people outside and had just enough time to see a brightly painted sign with my name on it being displayed by little miss Evan before I was enveloped in a huge Jerri K hug! The rest of the trip home was a bit of a blur--I do know Kevin got my trunks all out to the vehicle and loaded up for me, Evan talked a lot about Justin Bieber (her celebrity heart-throb), and Jerri K smiled a lot and kept looking at me like I might vanish into thin air :)! Then, we were driving through the city...tons of bright lights (it was a bit after midnight on December 30th--so, technically early December 31st...Dubai is 10 hours ahead of Texas), and lots of tall buildings and "spaghetti" (overpasses). Then we were home...got my trunks brought in and sat and talked with Jerri K until 3 in the morning! I unpacked just enough for the night and slept like a baby until 10 or so the next morning! It was lovely.
*Everyone calls cell phones "mobiles" (long "i" sound) over here (as in, "I need to get your mobiiile number before I leave today."). Also, text messages are called "SMS"...not sure why!
i love the reference to the "spaggetti" lol it reminds me of when i used to go through that one spot in houston with all the bridges criss crossing :P
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