So, I am writing right now from Toronto! I am officially on my way back to Baku!!!!!!!!!:) Since departing from my sister's new place (which, incidentally, is fantastic and which she shares with two other fantastic girls:)) this morning, I have:
- ridden with someone who does indeed drive the speed limit! (Good job, D!)
- eaten a peanut buster parfait for the last time for a year (I spend the whole time thinking about Mom and Dad since it was their special treat) bought for me! (Thanks, H!)
- successfully closed my parents phone account (a headache and a half. Word to the wise, it's not a bad idea to actually put an authorized user on your phone or credit card accounts, especially if you plan on leaving the country, otherwise the last minute things you leave for your kids will be impossible to accomplish.)
- reshuffled my suitcases (thanks to a very kind flight attendant lady who even re-tagged my bags to make sure they went all the way to Baku, not just London and kindly allowed me to take stuff out of my suitcases so they wouldn't be too overweight).
- did NOT have to pay for my second bag!!!!!!!!!!!! This was a huge unexpected blessing.:)
- finished my book (Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook, by Aimee Buckner, is a book I highly recommend for teachers and anyone who wants to grow as a writer themselves. It's one of the first "teacherish" books I've read in a while from personal choice [not because it was required] and couldn't wait to finish. In fact, just so you know how much of a nerd I am, the first thing I wanted to do when it was done was to re-read it! I can't wait to start using Writer's Notebooks with my kids this year.)
It amazes me how willing others can be to help you when you travel, especially if you travel by yourself. The check-in flight attendant mentioned above, my seat-buddy, the airport lady who didn't berate me for not filling in my customs card and allowed me to step to the side and quickly fill it in: people have been kind.
Here's the story of my seat-buddy. Due to the small size of my last plane, I had to shove my ginormous backpack under the seat in front of me. Seated near the front, I scooted into my window-seat, clumsily maneuvering my backpack into position while an older, quiet-spirited man waited patiently to sit beside me (not even a hint of annoyance at having to wait to sit). Quiet flight. Upon landing, he stepped out into the aisle and offered to let me go first (even though that meant he momentarily stopped the flow of traffic off the plane so that I could tug and jerk my backpack into submission. In fact, he even helped yank it up out of the leg space in front of his seat when it got stuck while I momentarily abandoned the fight to claim my "purse" from the overhead bin (I might add that the seat cushions are attached to the seat-frame with velcro and do indeed come up; whether or not they float is another story:)). Realize, please, that when you are the cause of holding up a plane exit, each second fills like five minutes, especially since you know that every other person on that plane wants to get off quickly to get to their connecting flight or final destination. Using that time warp, it took what felt like at least 10 minutes to get my stuff on me and all of us (me, bag #1, bag #2, book, and jacket) through the narrow aisle, up three rows, around the corner, and off the plane with what felt like the entire plane watching. Receiving assistance and patience in a situation when the opposite comes much more naturally is truly a gift from a gift-giving Father!
So, one-third of the trip is done. I am looking forward o seeing what lies ahead. Bon Voyage!:)
- ridden with someone who does indeed drive the speed limit! (Good job, D!)
- eaten a peanut buster parfait for the last time for a year (I spend the whole time thinking about Mom and Dad since it was their special treat) bought for me! (Thanks, H!)
- successfully closed my parents phone account (a headache and a half. Word to the wise, it's not a bad idea to actually put an authorized user on your phone or credit card accounts, especially if you plan on leaving the country, otherwise the last minute things you leave for your kids will be impossible to accomplish.)
- reshuffled my suitcases (thanks to a very kind flight attendant lady who even re-tagged my bags to make sure they went all the way to Baku, not just London and kindly allowed me to take stuff out of my suitcases so they wouldn't be too overweight).
- did NOT have to pay for my second bag!!!!!!!!!!!! This was a huge unexpected blessing.:)
- finished my book (Notebook Know-How: Strategies for the Writer's Notebook, by Aimee Buckner, is a book I highly recommend for teachers and anyone who wants to grow as a writer themselves. It's one of the first "teacherish" books I've read in a while from personal choice [not because it was required] and couldn't wait to finish. In fact, just so you know how much of a nerd I am, the first thing I wanted to do when it was done was to re-read it! I can't wait to start using Writer's Notebooks with my kids this year.)
It amazes me how willing others can be to help you when you travel, especially if you travel by yourself. The check-in flight attendant mentioned above, my seat-buddy, the airport lady who didn't berate me for not filling in my customs card and allowed me to step to the side and quickly fill it in: people have been kind.
Here's the story of my seat-buddy. Due to the small size of my last plane, I had to shove my ginormous backpack under the seat in front of me. Seated near the front, I scooted into my window-seat, clumsily maneuvering my backpack into position while an older, quiet-spirited man waited patiently to sit beside me (not even a hint of annoyance at having to wait to sit). Quiet flight. Upon landing, he stepped out into the aisle and offered to let me go first (even though that meant he momentarily stopped the flow of traffic off the plane so that I could tug and jerk my backpack into submission. In fact, he even helped yank it up out of the leg space in front of his seat when it got stuck while I momentarily abandoned the fight to claim my "purse" from the overhead bin (I might add that the seat cushions are attached to the seat-frame with velcro and do indeed come up; whether or not they float is another story:)). Realize, please, that when you are the cause of holding up a plane exit, each second fills like five minutes, especially since you know that every other person on that plane wants to get off quickly to get to their connecting flight or final destination. Using that time warp, it took what felt like at least 10 minutes to get my stuff on me and all of us (me, bag #1, bag #2, book, and jacket) through the narrow aisle, up three rows, around the corner, and off the plane with what felt like the entire plane watching. Receiving assistance and patience in a situation when the opposite comes much more naturally is truly a gift from a gift-giving Father!
So, one-third of the trip is done. I am looking forward o seeing what lies ahead. Bon Voyage!:)
Glad you've had safe travels so far! Hoping that the rest of your trip is/was just as good :)
ReplyDeleteMiss you already!
Chelsea ;)