Take A Little Trip With Me

As most of you know, I just returned from my first trip to Germany about a month ago. Life has finally calmed down to the pace that I can catch my breath and share my trip with you. I "journaled" while I was gone and am going to share much of that on my blog. So for those of you NOT interested in my MOST interesting trip, you can check back in a week or so and I should be on to something new.

Day 1 - April 21, 2009

Off I go! I didn't sleep well at all last night. I'm sure just thinking about all that lies ahead today and didn't actually lie down until about 2:00 a.m. I slept late, though, not getting up until about 6:30 a.m. Ha, ha!

Caught up with all my email, finished packing, took a LONG bath and finished all the last minute chores. I called Mom about 8 and she actually seemed fine today with my going. I have been concerned. A friend came over with an Egg McMuffin to share, but I declined so he didn't stay. That was a nice gesture.

Teresa came to clean and got here before I left. I fixed Mother another weeks' worth of medications and Teresa will take them to her for me tomorrow.

Jim P. was my designated driver today from the funeral home. He arrived promptly at 10:00 a.m. and we took off without delay. Wow, he is a SLOW driver, lol. We ended up arriving at the airport in Nashville at 11:10 with my flight to Newark scheduled for 11:55. Of course there was a long line of people at the check-in counter! Woe is me! My turn, my turn.

Upon completion of check-in, the man at that counter told me MY FLIGHT HAD BEEN DELAYED 2 HOURS !! Hallelujah! This will not affect my connecting flight to Newark as I had a scheduled 4 hour layover there. Now instead of four hours in Newark, it will only be 2. Could not have worked out better for me.

Security checkpoint was uneventful. Of course I had to let several people get in front of me, though, because I'm so dang slow. Well, THAT and the fact that they had to search all my bags???? So now I plug up my little "mini-pc" and catch up here.

I am hungry and might even go find something to eat - or not.

TWO hours later, still waiting. It appears all these delays are due to the weather in Newark. I am worried about getting there in time now to make my connecting flight to Frankfurt.

Okay, here we go. I have been sitting in Nashville all day!

Smaller jet than I had imagined. One seat on my side of the aisle so I didn't have to sit with anybody and two seats on the other. Turbulence was BAD. Got on the ground and had to take a shuttle to Concourse C, we had arrived at Concourse A. What little I saw of the airport in Newark was filthy and jam-packed with people. Raced to my gate as they were loading.

What next? Text message from my brother Wayne (who I am meeting in Newark with his family and all fly over together). Their flight has been delayed even more than MINE and they will NOT make the flight. WHAT ?!?!? I am going to Germany alone ??? I'm on the plane so , yes, I'm going to Germany alone.

What am I supposed to do when I get there? Foreign country, foreign language, alone, hmmmm.

At least this plane is huge. I had chicken with penne pasta for dinner. A little bottle of Skyye and cranberry juice, small side salad and for dessert, a cup of coffee with Bailey's to zonk me out. No luck, no sleep.

Still on the plane but almost to Germany now. Lost about 6 hours coming this way, it is already daylight here.

They actually served us breakfast on the plane (unscheduled) right before we landed. I had a warm croissant with butter and strawberry preserves along with four or five small chunks of fresh fruit. I did not have coffee but instead chose tomato juice to help my morning meds go down a little easier.

More tomorrow!