I set my watch alarm for 5:15 am, but because of the necessary earplugs, I did not hear it. I woke up at 6:37, panicked, grabbed my things, and ran out the door all the way to the train station. I got there at 7 am, and got on the 7:15am train to the airport. Hair nor teeth brushed.
Once I got to the airport I had to go on a shuttle, check in/get my boarding pass, go through security, and get to my gate. It is recommended that you get to the airport 2-3 hours early for international flights...I was just 1 hour early for all that. I made it to the gate, sat down for just five minutes, and then boarded the plane. I was so worried about missing my flight I was just sick! I'm sooo glad I made it.
We got "breakfast" on the plane but it was more like lunch. I slept for almost 2 hours and watched movies the rest of the time. We landed in Atlanta at 1:30pm. I went through customs/passport check, changed my 9:45pm flight to a 5:00pm flight so I wouldn't have to sit in the airport for 8 hours anxiously waiting to get home. I went through security again and then stopped at a bakery for some lunner. It was supposed to be Parisian, but they Americanized it quite a bit. The sandwiches had six times as much meat on them as they do in Paris, and the prices were twice as high..I guess I just can't get enough of the bakeries/cafes so I paid almost $20 for one sandwich and 2 pain au chocolats to take home to my sisters. The sandwich was good even though it wasn't really like Paris.
I sat at the gate and read until it was time to board. The plane coming in was 20 minutes late so my flight got delayed a good 50 minutes. We finally took off to SLC at around 6:00pm. The movies cost money so I mostly listened to music and played a free trivia game on my little personal TV. I ate some pretzels and peanuts, took a 30 minute nap, and just sat there on the plane excited to get home.
My dad had arrived at the SLC airport from a flight of his own an hour before mine landed so he just waited outside my gate for me. It's kinda funny that he was able to both drop me off and pick me up right at my gate because of trips of his own. We walked to the car and drove home via Legacy Parkway. The mountains are even more beautiful after such a long time away...Utah is so pretty! I loved seeing the temple lit up and just knowing where I was going.
I got home and was welcomed by a lovely sign that my family made for me. The words were spelled/phrased totally wrong (in French), but it was the thought that counts. It was fantastic! My sisters, mom, and dogs came running out for hugs and a picture by the sign. It was beyond great to see all of them, but it still feels like I never left. They got me balloons too. It was a great welcome home!
First thing I did when I walked through the door was change my clothes. I hadn't done laundry since Paris and was STINKY! I put on my ugliest/biggest sweats and enjoyed chicken and yellow sauce, a family favorite. I showed my family my magnet collection, told stories, and we enjoyed some Swiss chocolate and European chocolate bars. Mmmm mmmm good!
Then, we watched Dancing With the Stars. It felt so good to sit around the TV with my family like we always do. So silly, but so true. I missed it. I missed them.
It is so good to be home! I can't get enough of my dogs, and I get to see more family tomorrow. 2 months really isn't that long, but there's a lot of love in this little heart of mine so 2 months felt like FOREVER! I will get situated in life and post pictures/comments soon (ish).
Thanks again for reading!
Cheers!
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