The Trip Of A Lifetime......Maybe....

Monday afternoon I had said all my goodbye's and was on the way to the airport. I went out to my final American meal before heading out. (not so good) I get to the airport and the excitement filled me like sugar! I checked my bags, gave my last hugs, and headed through security. I was only about 3 hours early for my flight, so I had to wait. I got kinda bored....till they started boarding the plane.

It didn't take me long to find my seat. In the middle, on the right side, an isle seat with no one in the middle and a man by the window. It was a cool plane, all the headrests had little T.V.'s in the back of them. They were touch screens that you pick from various things like movies, t.v. shows, music, maps, talk radio, and so on, and so on. I watched a few different movies cause I couldn't get the menu screen to leave, it stayed on with me being able to only see half the screen at a time. The food was gross (expected) But I enjoyed every moment of it. We came in for our landing and De-boarded the plane.

This is when the fun begins. I make my way to the UK Border and wait in line with all the "other nationalities" My excitement is rising!!!!!! It's finally my turn and I am sent to window...I cant remember...that's where I meet Margaret, the border agent from.....(you know, heck)! I give her my passport and that's when the questions start, who, what, when, where, how, why, why, why,......You get the picture.

She decides that I need "further enquiry" so I sit and wait....and wait...hhmmmm I think this is where the pattern begins! She comes back to tell me I'm being detained, she then proceeds to walk me to the baggage claim to collect my belongings for "further enquiry". She looked through every nook and cranny in my things...."why do you have this?","whats this?" My goodness.....I thought she was going to make sure my undies were clean. Then we go back to my seat from before and this time I wait with my bags.

She then proceeds to tell me that I have to go to the detention area, that's where all the detainees are (they happened to be 2 other American girls, interesting) My bags are placed in a holding room and I'm be searched and patted down by security! I then get taken into a room where I watch other people get their picture taken and their fingerprints. (yep, you guessed it, I'm sweating good by now)
then I go back to the detention area.....then back to get my picture and fingerprints. Then back to the detention room where I'm told to sit and wait till they are done with "further enquiry". By this time they had put a call into my "sponsor" Jane, who is worried sick about whats going on and is trying to get them to let her talk to me. I wait....and wait...and wait...(insert pattern a few more times here)

Then, 5 hours later, they take me into a little interview room and ask me a zillion questions about what I'm doing, did, going to do, haven't done, the works! They even interviewed Jane and she had to go after the 5 hours cause she had one of the little ones with her. (I feel so bad that she had to go through that)

By 1 am (London time) I am denied entry to the country! Yep that's right DENIED! By 3 am I am hysterical on the pay phone to my mom. (Jane had called her to tell her what was going on, my amazing sister Kristi talked to her) By 5 am I am scheduled to leave the UK @ 10:45. By 7 am I get to brush my teeth.

Oh...let me tell you about the holding room. Its about the size of 2 average sized classrooms, a small security room, baggage holding room, search room, and two toilet stalls, (one for boys and one for girls...duh!) With a pretty little steel toilet, like you would find in a jail. Plastic bench chairs and one T.V. with ONE STUPID CHANNEL!!!!!!!!!! I did get a little pillow and blanket. :)

This is the really fun part.....at 9:30 two security officers come to escort me to my departure plane. At least I got to cut all the lines!! Because the airport is under construction, we had to take a bus to get on it......I TRICKED YOU!!! I got my own personal van....you know...the kind with bars and bullet proof glass. I even got escorted to my seat on the back of the plane. No worries at least no one was sitting next to me. So I'm on my way home.

You thought that was the end of the story.....WRONG!

I am flying into the Dallas airport to make a connection to phoenix on another airline (not sure why) So I get my bags in Dallas and do the quick re-check....go to get my boarding pass. Alas there is some sort of problem and the supervisor is called. Apparently I am on the flight but have NO TICKET....hhmmm interesting. Because I paid a different airline to begin with, I just have to go get a paper from them, telling this airline to transfer my ticket so I can get a boarding pass. I walk to the other side of the stinkin airport and the original airline is CLOSED.....CLOSED I couldn't believe it! They cancelled their flight and all went home to celebrate the New Year!

So I go all the way back to the other airline and the supervisor tries to get me coupon and things but he cant find any to use. I understand....kinda. I just buy my seat (AGAIN) and get put an a flight that leaves in like 4 hours. Luckily I have the most amazing family that are supporting me and helping via the phone and money to get home. I was picked up at 8:50 at Sky Harbor Airport by my sister and niece and nephews. I got my bags...came to her house and took my first shower since Monday morning! (lets just say I REALLY needed it!!)

As for what I'm going to do now.....GO TO SLEEP.....not sure what will happen next. But I know this one thing.....THE LORD WORKS IN MYSTERIOUS WAYS!!!!!!!!!!

Anyways.....HAPPY NEW YEAR!

OK....OK....

I know...I know....I am not a good blogger, yet! So, Halloween was fun. Me and a few friend went as an all girl ABBA group. We had a good time dancing the night away. Skip to Thanksgiving....We went to Diane's house for some good pit Turkey and food. But alas I was sick, really sick. I was sick for about a week. Lost a few pounds and a few days at work.

I've been trying to get everything ready for the big London move! For any of you that don't know...I'm moving to London for a few years. I'm really excited....I mean really excited!!!!!!!! It's going to be a fun adventure full of great new life experiences. I even get to go on a Ski trip in Feb. That should be interesting. I've never even attempted to Ski.

I'm trying to get Chelsey ready for a new aide, but she's not very happy with me. Her surgery went really well, she had a few complications, and now her incision is infected. But other than that she's doing good and is almost back to her old self. I'm just waiting for the end of school and our big trip to the Cabin for Christmas!!!