Homeward Bound--Day 71

Hello from the United States! I apologize that I didn't post this last night, but I had a pretty long and tiring day. It feels really good to be home again. I don't feel weird or out of place or anything. I started off my day by eating a quick breakfast, cleaning out my room, turning my key in to the front desk, and getting in a cab to Heathrow. I arrived at the airport close to 11 AM, and even though I had a good three hours until my flight, I was still freaking out. The cab driver had dropped us off at Terminal 1 because that was cheaper than going to both Terminal 1 and Terminal 4 (and I needed to be at Terminal 4). Heathrow has a great free train service that takes fliers from terminal to terminal. I got ride on the train to Terminal 4. When I arrived, I was ushered immediately to baggage drop, which went very quickly because I had already checked in online the night before (it pays to plan ahead). After I dropped off my suitcase, I went right to security. I think I ended up in the fast lane by mistake, but no one stopped me, so I sped right through. In total, I got through all of the painful stuff in less than 40 minutes. I had to wait almost an hour before I could even go to my gate! As such, I decided to fill up my water bottle, take a seat, and read. I got up a little bit before the gate opened to buy myself a sandwich and spend my last few pounds coins. I had 26p left, so I just put it into a large container marked as a collection point for cancer research donations. My gate was very centrally located in the airport, so I found it in just a few minutes. I read a little more before I was called to board.

The aircraft was a 767, which has two aisles with a 2-3-2 seat formation. I was in the middle section between the two aisles in row 27. When I got to my seat, I found that I was the only one in my little row of three. It was kind of nice, especially since I was on the end and right by the bathroom! I spent most of the flight drinking water, listening to music, reading the in-flight magazines, and watching movies (Singin' in the Rain, When Harry Met Sally, and Life as We Know It). I was pretty headachy and tired by the time we landed but very happy to be back home. Dad was waiting for me at the gate when I arrived, but we were separated by glass because I had to go through Customs before I could leave. The process went pretty quickly. I was delighted to see a bomb-sniffing dog come around and search our bags. She was a very cute beagle. I really love to see animals used for such important things. She really looked like she was enjoying her work.

Of course, Mom was very happy to see me and cried and hugged me like I had been away for five years. I got home, had a late dinner, and had some time to catch up with my family. I also introduced David to QI! He loved it, so I think it's safe to say that we will be watching many more episodes together when I have more time at home. Well, that should do it for this blog! Stay tuned for Confessions of a Pre-Vet Student, my new blog that I will be starting once I get back to school. The URL is aminnesotanataugie.blogspot.com.