We were prepared! After years of traveling and carrying stuff around the world we can be considered quite as professionals. We know how to pack funny stuff in our suitcases, we are always on the edge of the weight limit, and most of what we take has nothing to do with normal luggage like clothes – but masses household, cosmetics and hobby equipment. Our backpacks however are little survival bags, with our electronic devices, paperwork, and all you need for short travel periods. Including trail-mix and emergency chocolate 😉
After even enjoying our time in Germany it was still easy to say goodbye and exciting to know, we soon will be back in the USA. I was a bit nervous about my Visa as it is issued in my old passport, therefor online check-in was not possible, and as well the girl at the counter was struggling – but for her supervisor it seamed easy and a common thing. Yeah!
We started from Düsseldorf to London-Heathrow and everything went super easy. Till we saw in LHR that our flight will be delayed two hours. And than after two hours, that our flight will be delayed for one more hour. And after that waiting period, that we will board – in another hour. Finally we could embark the plane, but had a not so comfortable place as we as a couple sat right in the middle and felt pretty cooped up as left and right other luckier strangers were sitting at the aisle.
We had somehow another delay, again … I started watching a movie. We had more delay … we got some water … more delay … I started a second movie … after a while I literally had to ask Ryan, if we maybe DID start, as everyone on board was kinda minding his own business, sitting quiet in his seat. We learned, that there was a “short” in the board-electricity in the bathroom. And as it is for the safetey of a lot of travelers, they can not risk no error message, no matter how small.
At the end they disembarked us, two movies and four hours later we stood in London Heathrow again. Did we make a journey around the world through a worm whole? Oh gosh, we now had to go through customs and immigration!! “Welcome to the UK”! Why are you visiting Great Britain? We are not! How long will you stay? We don’t want to stay nor be here at all! Than we had to pick up our luggage as well as to find out, where we can stay and what will happen tomorrow! When will we get an alternative flight?
Two hours later we were in our hotel, on the last minute we got some food for free – a midnight snack before they closed the hotel restaurant down. But we just wanted to sleep … Next day we had to do the whole check in drama again, our new flight left on time, we had better seats and we arrived two hours earlier in Los Angeles than it would have been the night before. Nevertheless, immigration, luggage, car rental – and than we had to drive five hours up north towards Yosemite where my in laws live. We were just tired.
But we got there happily in the middle of the night, it was so nice to see Ryan’s parents after three years again. We stayed for two days, had a little Pre-Thanksgiving dinner and good talks. As we got cheated as the airline stole us one whole precious day in L.A. from us, we had to reschedule some dates we had made. Nevertheless the met everyone we wanted to meet! We stayed at Ryan’s Brother, met Uncle and Aunt and had a yummy dinner with the other two Sisters. Perfect timing! And after than just 24 hours south of L.A. we left to Kaua’i … and were looking forward to Aloha times!