So this morning we got up at 3:30 am Lithuania time. We got the rest of the suitcase packed and got ready to head to the airport. Peggy’s mom was able to check in quickly because her service provider was all ready open. Our ticket counter didn’t open for another 15 minutes. Once we got our bags checked we went through security with no problems. We went over to where mom should have been because our terminal was on the other side of the airport. We wanted to say our goodbyes for now. When we got to her gate she wasn’t there. So we thought maybe she went over by ours. So we walk to the other side of the airport (which was about 14 gates), but she wasn’t there either. So I was done walking; Peggy walked back again to check on her (we knew she went through Security). About 15 minutes later Peggy comes back with coffee and found mom. She was so happy that Peggy came back to her. I played on the Free Internet while there and then we boarded the plane and flew to Amsterdam, Netherlands.
When we arrive in Amsterdam we are lost. This place is pretty big and the language they speak sounds like Klingon. A lot of “Ack, Ack, hairball” is what it sounded like to me. We passed a smoking lounge, but I didn’t know how we were on time. So we go through Passport control and head to the KLM Ticket counter to get our boarding passes (we didn’t do online check in, we had no way to print them off). We then have to walk what felt like 3 miles to get to our gate. Once there they are starting to pre-board. In Amsterdam Airport the Security check points are at the gate. So the pre-screen and you then sit in a glassed in area that you cannot go anywhere. SO, no smoking for me and no food for either of us. Here we sit in this hamster area, waiting to board the plane. About 40 minutes go by and we finally board the plane; 8 hour plane flight to Detroit, MI, USA! As soon as we board the plane and walk back to our seats; I see two youngsters that we have to sit on front of. Ughhh! My seat got kicked so much and I think at one point one of the kids actually puked. When we started to de-board in Detroit, everybody around the family said how good of a job the kids did during the trip. Ummmm, yes they could have been worse, but when I am trying to sleep and my seat is getting kicked, I wouldn’t say they were “That Good.”
We touch down at Detroit at 1:10pm ET. It is nice to be back to America. Home of the “Fat Lazy Americans.” J We have to go through customs. It was pretty simple for us. Except Peggy did bring some food back, so we had to go through the “Agriculture check”. We grabbed our bags and they never said a thing to us. We were sitting in the terminal in Detroit and I called my sister to see how mom faired getting home and she told me mom's flight out of Vilnius got cancelled so she was on a flight about 3 1/2 hours later.
We got on the plane in Detroit after some issues with our boarding passes and then we are sitting on the plane and are delayed because a pilot was flying as a passenger to get to Nashville to pilot from there and then the airline changed their mind and he had to deplane. We sat there for about 30 minutes while they got approval to let him off and they had to find his luggage. But we knew this was the last leg of our trip so we would be home in a matter of hours.
We arrived in home around 4:45PM Central time and waited for out bags at the carousel and guess what... they aren't there. We had to claim them in Detroit to go through customs but when we checked them back in they were not checked in for our final destination. So once again we have no luggage, but at least this time we have clean clothes to wear and can sleep in our own bed! Hopefully they will be delivered to the house tomorrow.
One of our friends picked us up from the airport (thanks Marjorie) and was kind enough to drive by Burger King on the way home so we could have some good ol' American fast food since we have not eaten for hours. Once we ate I called to check in with my sister and she told me mom got to Newark but missed her connecting flight because she only had about an hour to go through customs. She should be home around 10:30 Eastern tonight.
We are home safe and sound and the only thing missing is my Bela (my 3 year old neice can't say Akvila and when we were at her house for Christmas she told me she wanted us to bring her Bela home).
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