Travels to Germany

Sunday: Golf is so boring!

OK, so I am in Philly hanging out in the US Airways Club Lounge (thanks to a family friend Frank Hazzard - thank you so so so much Frank!). The first leg of my journey complete (Chi-town to Philly) after a heart wrenching goodbye with my parents.... there was lots of walking in the Chicago airport. I had almost a full two hours to kill, so I found my gate - funny what security this brings...like whew, yup, it's there...now what - then decided I should walk. Walked from concourse E to G...up and down each concourse in it's entirety. then back... to E...then on to A...then back to E. Then thankfully they were boarding. Flawless flight. Got to the lounge in Philly and scoped it all out, found one nook with some couches. It's mostly little separate sections divided with stuffed chairs, end tables with identical lamps on each, very nice restrooms, a bar and snack area. Oh, and of course, tv's everywhere. So I claim my couch, drink a bunch of water, e-mail the fam and Sebas and put on the eye mask. Time to sleep. Shortly after this I kind of notice that someone is attempting to change the channels of the tv that's closest to our couch area, despite the sign that says "Please see Club Representative for assistance with the Equipment"...which he eventually does. How do I know it's a he...? Because of what he turns it to... a world cup game, Spain vs. some African team. I thought this would be annoying but with the sleep mask and the gentle hum of vuvuzelas, which sound surprisingly like the buzz of a bee hive, it wasn't too bad. But then after only an hour ...maybe hour and a half of rest... I had to get up. Our couch corner had become a hot spot, with one tv having the game and one having the big golf tournament. Really? There's like at least 25 tv's in this place, some much nicer and bigger than these...I just imagine all the people around me, picturing them through my sleep mask, 'why is this lady sleeping right where the game is showing?!' Well, random sports fans I'm imagining in my head, it wasn't on when I laid down! Now, the exciting game is over...and all that's left is.... golf! Which has to be, in my book, the absolutely most boring thing to watch on tv ever. ever. But I get a strange joy out of it, thinking of my father... who, if at home, is most certainly watching it. Happy Fathers Day dad, love you.

Maybe it will put me back to sleep...

Monday: Aisle seats...ugh

So the flight from Philly to Dublin is about 6.5 hours...I've been told by my physician that I need to get up every couple hours and walk. WALK for 15 minutes. On a plane. hhmmmm..... didn't really think about this, besides making sure to get an aisle seat so I can easily get up without crawling over or waking up two people next to me. Flight took off on time, reassuring because I have just over two hours in Dublin. But seeing as how I have to go through customs, wait for baggage, and re-check in and go through security...those 2 hours and 15 minutes feel like maybe I'm cutting it close. All it will take is one thing to hold me up and....ugh. Can't even think about it. I tell myself there's nothing I can do but to just go with it. Worrying is so wasteful of energy. So I settle in, to my aisle seat, get a nice vegetarian meal... and start reading a bit... when I would normally start to try and sleep. I soon realize that sleeping is just not going to happen. My mind it too heavy...the child two rows back is screaming too loud (seriously, for almost the entire time....)....and is it just me or does everyone who walks down the bloody aisle have to kick my foot, nudge my elbow, even once somehow catching onto my blanket and taking if off of me!? oh, and I was only a few rows back from the toilets - man oh man do people disregard the fasten seat belt sign!!!! I approached the two hour mark. Ok, time to walk a bit I guess. Do you know how impossible it is to walk, like really walk on a plane for 15 minutes. I ended up just doing stretches, squats, lunges even, in the back of the plane to get my circulation going. Seemed to work just fine. The time passed relatively quickly, I did rest for maybe an hour, but it wasn't really sleep. Then before I knew it the sun was up and we were making our final decent. We would land 10 minutes early even! ah, what a relief, I should have plenty of time. Or so I thought. After a smooth landing and about 30 seconds of taxiing on the runway the plane stops. The pilot gets on and lets us all know that there's a plane at our gate, it will leave soon and then we can unload. ok ok, so there goes the 10 minutes I just gained by landing early...oh wait, make that 20 minutes..... 30...... 40.... yes, that's right. we sat there for OVER 50 MINUTES. OMG, I was like a ticking time bomb, leg bouncing nervously, letting out a gruntled, heavy sigh every now and then...if I had a watch I would have overdramatically glanced at it numerous times. Heart rate's up. Finally we get to the gate and the fasten seat belt sign is turned off....

on your mark. get set. ?

Monday...ur, uh, Montag Nacht: Willkommen

ok, ok, so Dublin was interesting. Best described: hurry up, wait. hurry up, wait. hurry up. After dashing out of the plane, jogging down the terminal it was time to wait in line at customs. Of course, I got in the slowest line. No, really I did. The official asked me the normal questions... first, Hello how are you. Then How long will you be in Dublin. After a quick glance at my imaginary wrist watch I replied...um, about 45 minutes. That answer seemed to satisfy all his other inquiries, I got a quick stamp and was on my way....to ....baggage claim, baggage claim, which way is...ok yes, found baggage claim and ...waited. Got both my bags - yay! - loaded them up on a cart and followed the signs to flight connections. Which took me directly to security. Oh, no, wait, don't I have to check in my bags somewhere? oh yes, go back to the other side of the terminal. AAAHHHH!!! okokok... found the ryanair check in counter. Thankfully they were busy and didn't even think twice about my bags being over weight by a kilo or so. whew! Then of course I think I could have maybe brought this or that or other things too but - oh well - back to security. wait in line, wait in line. Then to the gate. I notice once I approach the gate that everyone is already in line...then I look at my ticket, glancing quickly to see what zone I'm in or seat or row so I know when to board. Um, ryanair doesn't do seat assignments. Interesting. You just get in line, scan your ticket, and go find a seat. Weird. But ok. This flight seemed longer than it actually was. Running on no sleep, pure endorphins and adrenaline I'm struggling to read and remember what I'm reading. I can't recline my seat (does this really save the airline money somehow?) so I close my eyes for a moment, thinking maybe I could rest. Then it hits me, like a ton of bricks. I will see Sebastian. In a matter of minutes I will be reunited with him. NO WAY I'm sleeping now. Finally we land. And then I'm reminded that, while I have to go through customs again (this was my main stress, because I don't have a return ticket and intend to stay longer than my passport alone will allow) it's the customs that you go through while traveling within the EU... my flight was only coming from Ireland after all. Freakin sweet! Two questions. Two questions they asked me and I was done, out the door, bags already waiting for me, and exiting the baggage claim area. Only to see what I had been waiting for this whole time. Sebastian. Waiting for me. I saw his face light up and heard him say 'oh, my, God'. That was all I needed.

oh, and a hug. A big big hug.

The drive to Hennef went great, under two hours I'm pretty sure. had a nice dinner with Sebastian's parents - Peter and Lissy. And the past week has been really wonderful...settling in... relaxing... exploring Hennef, Bonn etc. And of course, making a plan. But most certainly and most importantly, reconnecting with Sebastian. In the last days he can even feel some movements of the baby! wow. In a way it's all new, different, but in a really weird way it's all natural... familiar..... normal.

Next time a picture...I promise. We're all doing well and healthy.

Love,

Sebastian, Stacy and Lemon