So today has been a very long day. It’s not even close to over yet. Still, it has been long and tiresome. I am currently sitting in Heathrow Airport in London waiting for my perfectly timed layover of 4 hours to pass. I say perfectly because I am allowed to sit and enjoy my Starbucks (YES!). I’m convinced they put something in this stuff because Grenoble had me feigning… but that’s so unrelated.

This morning started off with the dreaded luggage. At 7:30am, Caroline helped me struggle with the bags down the steps, into her car, and to the bus stop – all on her morning off. We said our good-byes and I boarded the bus, sad to say good-bye to France but anxious to get home. Wouldn’t it be nice if life could be like I Love Genie and *DING* … I’m home. I knew you would agree.

So I get to the check-in desk. The first piece went through fine, but then the second piece went on the scale and the British Airways lady goes “uh uh, impossible.” Well, I just knew that couldn’t be good. Apparently I had enough weight in my suitcase to convince them it was a dead body. I then spent the next thirty minutes to an hour taking out items that wouldn’t hurt my heart to throw away (Yes, I know- throw away!). Finally after saying my farewells to a few things and playing the back and forth game between the two suitcases – since the first one was under the weight limit - I got it right. I couldn’t have been more exhausted or frustrated. Luckily the woman was extremely nice despite the fact that I was testing her patience with my constant “Can we try it again?” We both made the best of it, laughed, and smiled as we parted. We bonded in those minutes. I know she will miss me terribly. *sigh* I guess I should’ve known it would be a problem if I couldn’t pick up the suitcase at home to weigh it huh? Oops.

After all that fabulous hoop-la, it was still only 11am and my shoulder was killing me from all the stuff I forced into my carryon bag. My flight left around 12 and I was constantly in and out of sleep. I woke up at convenient times like when the food came. The air lady had just finished serving the two people seated next to me and I suppose after seeing me sleeping she decided to move on. I immediately woke up – feeling that something in my life was missing – and got myself a chicken salad sandwich. It was quite yummy… good job BA.

So we landed early in London. I don’t understand everything that happened because I was really going in and out of sleep at this time. I remember being in the air and hearing that we would be landing in 5-10 minutes. Two seconds later, we touched down. Crazy. I wonder how they did it?

After we got off the shuttle bus to go through security yet againnnn, we all had to stand in a line 5 miles long and moved like molasses. Luckily, I was thoroughly entertained by the two middle-aged couples behind me. For the first 20 minutes they weren’t aware that I was listening to them but at one point I couldn’t hold my laughter in anymore. My favorite was when one of the husbands saw the sign on the wall basically saying that all refugees seeking asylum should notify the airport authorities sooner than later. They then proceed to have a conversation about how that line must be shorter than the one we were standing in. I tried to type out what I remember from the conversation so you could enjoy but it just isn’t the same unless you were there. Trust me, it was funny.

Eventually we started chatting and we made it to the front of the security check without incidence. I never got to say goodbye because my bladder was screaming for attention at that point. Twenty gates later, I reach Starbucks.

My flight to DC leaves at 5pm. I’m just hoping that the second half of my day won’t try to beat the first half and that I can get home in peace. Home sweet home!