Wednesday 13 November 1996
Hannibal to St Louis, Missouri, flying to Salt Lake City, Utah, flying to Los Angeles, California
My last day in America. I feel very sad that my trip of a lifetime is almost over.
This country has lived up to my expectations...the people, the food, the scenery....just amazing.
This morning we left Hannibal and drove to St Louis, the traffic was heavy and we were late. I was terrified I would miss my first flight to Salt Lake City...
I said a rushed goodbye to my friend, and jumped on the plane.
It was so cold and snowing and as I looked out of my little window, I saw workman on big platforms hosing the ice off the wings of the plane. I started to feel a bit anxious.....
As soon as the plane sliced through the clouds, the sky was blue and so beautiful..
It was a 3 hour flight from St Louis to Salt Lake City, and the scenery was breathtaking. The mountains around Salt Lake City were beautiful, all covered in snow. It was like another world, looking down from the window to this sight!
Salt Lake City airport is really lovely...after running for my first plane in St Louis, I now find that the flight from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles is delayed...which means I will be somewhat late arriving in Los Angeles for my international flight.
I'm starting to get a bit worried about this...but there are alot of red coats (Delta Airlines customer service agents) to help get me where I should be going...
I am alone, in America now, possibly late for my international flight to get me home.....it's a strange feeling...
I feel quite homesick and just a bit teary....
I'm delayed by over 2.5 hours, but our flight to Los Angeles is uneventful..apart from being put up the front of the plane and being told by the stewardess to "run when the plane lands, don't worry about your luggage, just get to the international terminal"...
I arrived at Los Angeles at 10pm, I only had 1/2 hour to get from the Delta Airlines domestic terminal to the international terminal...check in, find my luggage and get on the plane. There was an americian lady with me who was travelling to Australia, so as soon as the plane landed, we bolted.
I think we actually could have been hand in hand at that stage...but we ran from one to the next, I remember standing outside saying "I have no idea which way to go"...but we made it.
I climbed onboard and found my seat. With QANTAS....I was so relieved and so happy to hear some Aussie accents......
In the end our plane was late taking off because of thick fog and the backup of planes waiting to leave. I had no idea where my luggage was, or if I would see it again...I was so so happy to be on my way home....
I think I went to sleep right away...I was so tired...I just wanted to get home safely.....
4 comments:
I had a mild panic on your behalf (I mean, I know you obviously made it home but still -- I have dreams where I'm stranded in an international airport with no idea what to do next)
Glad you made it back!
And MIL says there's nothing in the world like spotting the Big Red Kangaroo when you've been travelling overseas.
How amazing. I have to say, i wish I were writing a similiar one about a trip to Australia! I would love to visit there.
Running to the plane to plane? That does sound fun now..you know, in hindsight!?
Awwwww you capture the moment of going home for a foreign traveller so well. I would have freaked watching the ice being hosed off the wing too! Eeeergh. I am SUCH a nervous flyer (my first ever flight alone will be to the ABC in Sydney next March! check out my knuckles when we meet, yeah? they'll still be white, I'm tipping...)
I can vividly remember getting on a QANTAS plane home after backpacking in my early 20s. Like you I found the accent extremely comforting... I finally felt like I was heading home.
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