And We're Home...

Didn’t keep the pact last night…I dozed off around 3:30 and slept for about 45 minutes before everyone got up and showered to prepare for the long day ahead. Chris, Bert and I loaded our stuff and made it downstairs around 5:15 as we were to head to the airport around 5:30 am…Yes A.M. The girls arrived and we all checked out and were presented with breakfast boxes full of all kinds of goodies. Not wanted to carry anymore bags, we all consumed the contents immediately and threw some of the leftovers in other bags. Around 5:45, Bert started pacing because no one had arrived to take us to the airport. Catherine called Juan Jesus who was already at the airport waiting for us and was highly upset because the bus he arranged was supposed to be out in front of the hotel at 5. We all began to wonder but sometime around 6:30 we found a bus driver wandering around in the vicinity of our road…Yes our flight is supposed to leave at 8. Finally we make it to the airport where Juan Jesus is standing with his hands folded across his chest (he was not happy). He puts on a smile for us and quickly moves us to the line for check-in. Everyone gets checked in but Tong and I get caught in a line with a guy at the counter who must have been in training because he took forever even when his boss was standing watching over his shoulder. He took what seemed like twelve hours before he finally got us checked in for the flight and we took off running to make it through the security checkpoint. When we cleared security, we learned that Catherine had been caught with a bottle of rum in her carry on baggage and had to throw it away. We gave Juan Jesus a hug and thanked him for the entire trip and promised we would all see him soon. A four hour place ride to Munich was very uneventful as we experienced a smooth flight. We passed through passport control and headed to the flight counter to check in for our next flight. Carla and I did some last minute shopping and when we returned the group had already boarded the place. Chris, Bert and Catherine were upgraded to business class and as the rest of us boarded the plane we found them sitting in the “nice seats.” We settled in for the eight hour flight and most of us slept the entire ride to DC. We arrived in Washington, the land of cell phone usage, cleared customs and headed for baggage claim. Everyone got their luggage except for I was missing one bag which the guard assured me would be delivered to my house by fedex tomorrow morning…we will see if that happens. A two hour layover went by quickly as we all experience a little bit of American food…nothing like it…and finally boarded the plane around 9:30. After a final video of us boarding the plane, we sat and enjoyed the tranquility of the thought of heading home. We arrived in Greenville about an hour and a half later to greeting from family and friends. There’s no place like home...maybe Tenerife…