Homeward bound!

Travel day

Our wake up call came bright and early at 4am, and we stumbled downstairs with our luggage to get some bread and honey before walking down the street to the bus. We had to split up to fit, but we're all grown up now, so that's not a big deal. I was surprised by how many people were on the bus so early; a lot of them on the way to the airport, but still. That's early in the morning.

Our first flight wasn't all too exciting; Lufthansa always gives a lot of stuff away, so we had a nice breakfast. I didn't sleep much, and worked on some journaling. It did take about an extra hour before it left the runway, so I dozed off a little then.

We expected to have a nice layover before our 8 hour flight- not too long, but not rushed, either. We lost that when we got an hour behind with the last one, so I wasn't able to get my stock of milka bars like I had hoped :( sad times. I did grab an apple and some water though, and have done an excellent job at staying hydrated thus far.

The ride was typical- long, but doable. Travel days aren't nearly as exciting now either, since they all sort of run together regardless of how long any one trip is. I knocked back some Xanax and was able to sleep for a little bit, I was told (I don't remember sleeping that much, but everyone is always impressed with how I am able to twist into tiny contortions and sleep on planes and trains. It's a gift.). I also got to watch the new muppet movie, since they had it offered as one of the selections on the little screen we each had. We also got a warm lunch and later a snack, along with refreshments every hour at least- they work hard to keep you hydrated. If anyone is traveling internationally, I would definitely recommend Lufthansa. Although not from the London heathrow airport, because it is way too overcrowded, and flights never seem to be on time, according to Marc.

We had a nice layover in Newark, but it was then that we started to realize the trip really was over. I can already tell I'm going to have a problem going back to using my phone- even though I was in the states, I just didn't want to be bothered with it and weighed down while I was trying to do other things.

Customs went smoothly- I was expecting something scary and time consuming, but it was actually no problem at all, and everyone working was incredibly friendly. I realized sarcasm was another thing I missed- it isn't easily translated, even in British English.

Now I'm on my last flight to Cleveland, where I have no idea what to expect or how to feel- I do know that I'm not ready to see a bunch of people yet and answer questions about the trip. I'm still busy digesting what happened; even at home, I'll still be in it, doing it, but when I start reminiscing and reselling stories- its over. Done. And I'm not prepared for that. So with the exception of Doug, Maggie, and my parents, I just need to hide out and figure out what exactly just happened in my life the last few weeks.

I have to write a reflection paper for the course before I can officially get my grades... I think I'll post it as my last entry, once finished.