Reflections

I'm home, almost a week now and the trip seems so long ago and far away!  I have to stop in the middle of my reality to try to recapture the thrill of it all.  

Reality comes back in full force most times and this was no exception...a broken tooth meaning extensive and expensive dental work, a pre cancer removal that had some complications...yes, the reality of life is far from the blissful escapes I manage to create at times.  

Reflecting back...I thought that when I'd completed the 10 1/2 hour flight to Houston from Amsterdam, all would be fine, the major part was over and I was safely back in the US.  How silly of me!

Customs went well, when I was asked what food I was bringing back and I started listing the items...Dutch cookies, cheese, Swiss chocolates, cheese, bread from France...I was told to just go on...guess they didn't care about my foods after all!

I was staying at a hotel near the airport, not a great area, but I was pleasantly surprised when I arrived, it was actually quite a nice hotel.  I was exhausted but there was one more highlight to come, my nephew who I'd not seen in almost five years was going there to visit.  He arrived and although I was so thoroughly exhausted, it was wonderful to see him and catch up.  We went out for a seafood dinner and I was in bed before 7:30, (2:30 AM in amsterdam, quite late) having repacked and printed out my boarding pass so I'd be ready for the final flight home early the next morning.

Got to the airport on the shuttle and went to check in and was told the flight was leaving from another terminal!  Not just a different gate, but terminal!  I always go to the airport very early to have time to deal with whatever surprises come up, so I was only a little worried at that point.  There was a cart that would take me to the other terminal.  I went through security and they did a random swab of my carry on suitcase.  All of a sudden the monitor started flashing a big red box and in it were large capital letters saying, "EXPLOSIVES  DETECTED!". Oh, my!  The fun began.  I said surely that is a joke, nope no joke, guards were walking up from two different directions.  Things were being taken out of my carry on and I was asked if I wanted the hand search there or to go somewhere private.  I said I didn't have a lot of time so there would be fine.  Ridiculous!  Of course I was trying to imagine when my bag could have come in contact with explosives and I'd checked it on the way to Europe so maybe along the way?  

After everything passed inspection the guard asked if I would like to repack my bag and I said no, I'd already done it once, he could do it and try to get it all back in.  He couldn't, what a mess so I left carrying a bag of the things he couldn't get back in.  Still wondering what in the world had caused that.  I'd asked after it was over and was told, oh it could be a lotion!  Really??

I got a ride to the right terminal and even had a bit of time to visit the lounge.  I asked why my flight was boarding an hour early rather than the usual 30 minutes.  I was told I was traveling on the Dreamliner...hmm, wasn't that the new plane that was grounded not so long ago?  Well, yes it was, but it is fine now...oh how I was hoping the drama was over for the day!  

I got ready to leave the lounge and I couldn't find my coat, oh no! That dear old black coat has been around the world with me!  It is old and tattered but perfect for me.  Its an all weather coat with a rather warm zip in/out lining.  Perfect for me everywhere I go.  I went to the desk and the calls began...to the hotel, security, cart office, lost and found...no black coat.  I was so sad but believed it would show up so I was finally leaving, with all the numbers I could call when I got home to continue the search.  As I was sadly turning to leave, the lady who cleans the lounge walked up with my coat!!  It apparently had fallen between two chairs!!  Oh my, I was so happy, relieved and realized I was indeed, back to reality!

My Dreamliner flight was nice, supposedly the soft blue lighting makes things better and the cabin pressure is set at an altitude of 6000 feet rather than the usual 8000 ft, making jet lag less severe.  The plane was continuing on to Tokyo, oh how I wanted to just stay on!  The lady next to me was from Hong Kong.  She was playing Candy Crush Saga.  We talked about it, she said in Hong Kong groups of people gather and play it, from 3 year old children to the elderly who have on their glasses and shaky hands.  She was on level 395!  I'd seen a business man playing it on a train in Paris, standing with his arm wrapped around a pole for support and playing it on the iPad on his way to work.  Apparently it is a worldwide phenomenon!  I had no idea...

And so the trip on the Dreamliner came to an end, another successful holiday came to an end...and I walked right back into reality!

Wonderful sights, food and adventures!  From meeting the wonderful young man who is a software developer on the flight from Denver to DC, who let me try on the prototype glasses that are a computer screen, that was a 'trip' in itself, to the explosives detected happening, another trip was over, and hopefully the memories will remain forever!

Now, where to next?