I feel like a need an abroad debriefing or a...a US orientation, because I still can't really understand how I'm here...it felt like I was gone for so long, but now that I'm here and can see that nothing has really changed, it's like I just left for Paris the other day.
I left the train station across the street from when I lived in the 14th at 11. Becca helped me lug my suitcases onto the train and then hopped off right before the doors shut--it was such a dramatic situation.
I got to Charles de Gaulle an hour later...and was on my flight at 2:30, got to Heathrow at 2:50 local time, and then had 20 minutes to go through security and border control before getting on my flight to Boston--I almost missed it, but this saved me:
"Excuse me, the gate for my connecting flight closes in 20 minutes, can I pass through the line?" Basically, I became the celebrity of the security check point being escorted to the front by a man with a lovely accent: "Excuse me, this young lady needs to catch a flight in 20 minutes, move aside please"
I scurried through security like a pro and then ran through the terminal to my gate. Running through an airport is something I think everyone should have to do once in their life, because it is the most panicked and most beautiful rush at the same time.
The gate was technically closed when I got there, but they were letting the stragglers on.
7 hours later I was in Boston, and after getting my claiming my absurdly heavy baggage and going through customs with nothing but a glance at my Passport and a "Welcome back!", I walked through the exit expecting to have to search for my family. Instead, I spotted them right away and ran towards them, laughing and crying all at once--I expected some happy tears, but these were just plain sobs of JOY. We all group hugged and laughed and got teary together.
So happy to see Brady...and (bragging) he was SO happy to see me.
We had a great night catching up together (likelike Brady and I), and today, I'm going to Stonehill and I seriously am having trouble waiting until 3 to see Molly and Jimmy.I'm going to drive to the grocery store in my pj's, pay in US dollars, speak English, make American coffee and I'm sure do about 44 other things I haven't done since August that I won't even realize.
Much much much love
I'm happy to be home....
