First, before my six-week hiatus from the good ole U.S.ofA.- a family goodbye dinner.
The 'rents. Mama and Daddy took us all to a little restaurant in Buckhead called 'Mosaic.' It's a little house that has been turned into a fancy pants (but still laid back) restaurant. Everything inside is super modern (I fell asleep on the cushions/bench of one of the 'booths' the first time I dined there with a little bit of help from a bottle of wine and a full belly) but it's quaint and the menu always keeps you on your toes since the tiny kitchen does not always accomodate all of the ingredients. The specials are always really creative too.
Oh Brother.I began my journey at Heartsfield-Jackson International. Look how excited:
That was on Thursday evening for a 10:55p flight to Heathrow. Well... things didn't go as planned. I couldn't get on the over-full flight and I bid a less than enthusiastic goodbye to the other six standbys that didn't make it either.
The next day I got to the airport (still in my same clothes...) and tried for Gatwick at 5:45p. I ran into one of the standbys from the night before, Heena, and we shared or pitiful same-clothes, no-make-up, stranded predicament with one another... this flight didn't look very promising either.
Then my name was called to the counter- OH HAPPY DAY! ...Only to discover that baggage claim wanted to chck with me concerning my bag. Immediate deflate. Heena and I didn't make that flight either- but we did adopt a Techie into our little standby family- Sid!
Onto Manchester. Sid and two other Delta employees made it and THEY CALLED HEENA AND ME TO THE QUEUE!!!... Only our hopes were bashed by two late-comers running to the gate with confirmed tickets and only 45 seconds to spare... it was all the self control I could manage to not fling my backpack at them and stampede the plane. Thus Heena and I were booted. Another damn flight missed!
So we trooped our way over to another gate for Heathrow. Chances were slim to none... and the none prevailed.
Then another flight- again, the 10:55p flight. Denied.
ANOTHER day in the airport in the SAME clothes. At least I had Heena. We trudged hopelessly to the Gatwick gate and played our usual game of sit-and-wait. We ran into about three of our oher 'standby crew' from the days past- it seems hardly anyone was able to find a Friday flight. Names were called, people boarded... and then they called first one friend and then another! This might be it!! A man was called... but when she spelt the name IT WAS HEENA! WHICH MEANT I WAS NEXT... and it happened!! "Drescher!" YESSSSS!!!! We jumped and hugged and screamed and RAN onto the plane. And the nice Delta attendents gave us shiney little wings for all of our perseverance :)
Initially my seat was to be smack dab in the middle of a 3 person center row- but what did I care? I was FINALLY on a plane!! As luck had it though the other two seats were a couple that wanted to stay together. Would I like to change my middle sea for an aisle seat? You bet your ass I would!
And then- more luck. Across the aisle I overheard talk of Georgia Tech and study abroad and wouldn't you know it but a fellow Techie, and the future roommate of one of my pledge class sisters, was off to study abroad in London as well- Grace. And the boy sitting next to her- Brian- was a fellow study abroad kid from Mississippi. Unfortunately I can't get the picture off of my cell phone but I have plans to meet up with both of them in the upcoming weeks.
What a small, small world we live in.
So... now I'm on my own. OFF TO OXFORD!!!
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