Thursday, June 10, 2010

Traveling Back

Wow that was an eventful and crazy trip. And I came home to a crazy room.

I left my parentals and went through security feeling very mature. Step 1, Check-In, which was my main fear. So with that I could relax in the terminal and eat fries from Burger King and just wait for my flight. The two hours actually went pretty fast when you realize I was just sitting there daydreaming.

I wanted to try not sleeping on the first flight at all and - bam! Success! I didn't actually watch any of the in-flight movies because I started my book and halfway through, a flight attendant said, "I want you to finish that before we land." I didn't, but it was pretty big, and I was only a couple chapters off.

On the first flight I was seated by a couple, the girl of which was a daughter of one of the flight attendants. So all the other flight attendants knew her and were constantly bringing her special treats. I thought it was nice, especially as being in their vicinity, the flight attendants were very sweet to me as well. -- After the flight, with not sleeping, I was pretty tired and just kept getting more and more tired. I met a guy from the ShangHai branch (I don't know his name, but he was the one with the tiny blonde wife and now they have a little boy - as I learned when we got to SLC) and he made me his guest in the First Class Lounge. So I had a little granola cereal in there before heading to the gate to try and stay awake.

A little stupidity with that gate - it was in the International Terminal for today. That was annoying, as I walked all the way to the Domestic and through Security to learn my gate was back in International. Besides being annoying, it didn't ruin my day.

Customs was TERRIFYING. They were just their regular stern selves (I think they practice in a mirror) and asked the regular questions, but I was feeling paranoid. I really wasn't sure about the claim thing on the customs. I put that I brought $50 worth of goods and blaaaah. Am I SUPPOSED to do that? So everytime they stopped me, "What's in the tubs?" I was like "I'M GOING TO PRISON!!"

I was so excited to get on the plane and take off so I could finally sleep. Fun Note: The plane is apparently the smallest (or one of the smallest) now being run by United. An Airbus A319. So this small airplane is apparently kinda new - it still holds like twenty-five rows of six passengers each. But it was making weird and discomforting noises on take-off. I zonked out when I decided we were leveled out and only flickered awake a couple times to reposition. Then what seemed like a couple minutes later (doesn't it always seem that way?) I woke up and the Captain was saying, "Flight attendants prepare for landing." Yay!!

That was the scariest landing of my life. The turbulence was really gross, what with landing in what was becoming a very windy rainstorm. It was actually pretty exciting (although terrifying). The plane shook back and forth a ton (still don't know how it stays together) and then DROP!!!.....DROP!!! That was my favorites, the drop parts. We had a few drops throughout the flight, and the older women clung to their armrests and wailed a little bit. Veerrryyy thrilling. Like a rollercoaster.

Trina picked me up...drove home...I was pretty much so tired I was kinda just out of it. Then we got home and were locked out. So I grabbed my spare car key and drove over to Tin's work (Trina had to dash to work) and got his house key. It was fun. Good to know I can still drive, though after I had taken Trina her dinner and come home, I decided it was definitely a good time to stop operating heavy machinery. I checked my mail, made a mental note to email Mom in my early jetlag morning (didn't work out as I got a worried phone call) and crashed on the lovesac.

All those hours on the plane sitting and sleeping on the lovesac made my knee (the one stabbed with cactus venom) start twinging again. I think it is weird it is still hating me. I did enjoy the three-hour nap before I woke up disoriented with some maniacal ringing going on. I somehow ended up in the kitchen grabbing the phone off the wall (completely) and managing to talk to Dad. I looked down in my hand and I was holding my cellphone, and apparently in my dreamy state I'd read a text from Trina. All very weird - I'm loving it.

Note: In my defense of not contacting Mom, I was so tired I honestly didn't really think about people's worrying and stuff. Sorry.

So I have decided traveling brings out the best in me. I am so intimidated by sour flight attendants and stern security that I am always trying to be sweet enough to get a pleasant response from them. That's good isn't it? Well there's my dear mother's update. Have a lovely day. Sadly, not much to say of the Mind of Roo as it is kind of dead at the moment.

2 comments:

  1. Nice update. glad you are safe...gonna go fix dinner for Carsons. We rented a car for the week - next week I'm off for three days so we are going to TOUR :) chongming Island with Carson boys and wherever else we think we want to drive to ...you left too soon! (Ha I know you are thinking "I left just in time!"...love ya.

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  2. I Do treasure the DVDS :) I get happy when I look at them. Thanks!

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