My flight

My flight finally happened!! And it was FOREVER. There isn't much to blog about it really. I THOUGHT I had the exit row. I THOUGHT I had the seat next to me all to myself. I THOUGHT I would have lots and lots of room to stretch out! I THOUGHT I would have a plug to charge my electronics. I THOUGHT I would be able to subscribe to wifi while on the plane. Turns out I had the row BEHIND the exit row. I had a neighbor. I had no charger connections and no wifi. The seat in front of me had some sort of permanent box thing on either side of the bottom so not only could I NOT stretch out, but I also could not properly store my bag under the seat. So when the flight attendant told me to shove it under further, I pretended to and then I covered it with my blanket!!

My neighbor turned out to be a super nice guy from the northeastern part of my state. He was a slightly older gentleman, maybe in his early fifties? Single. Used to be in the military. (I don't know if he retired.) He went to VMI. After military, he went to law school. Now he was headed to Bangladesh to return to work from holiday. He teaches lawyers over there. He was really quite pleasant and I felt like I knew him my entire life! He gave me his card before he got off the flight in case my family and I are ever in Bangladesh while he is still there! When he first got on the plane, he was kind enough to put my bag in the overhead compartment for me (it was too high) and he also got it back out when our flight was over without me even asking him to!

Maybe some of you are wondering about the food on the flight? But y'all know I'm vegan! I preordered my meal which means- I got my meal before everyone else! My 1st meal was okay. I think it was Indian food. It was rice and a cauliflower/pea curry, a roll, and a salad. I had mango juice to drink. Then they came again and I had a sandwich- maybe hummus with some veggies in it. I drank apple juice. The last meal was another Indian meal but my body wanted breakfast. So I ate all the fruit. I ate a few bites of rice. I ate the little bit of spinach that was on the tray and 1/2 the roll. My stomach wasn't feeling it. I drank water.

So I arrive at the airport and make my way out to baggage claim. All of the men are surrounding the belt while the women wait back. I have no man with me so I get a cart and make my way to the belt. I hefted both nearly 50lb Army duffles onto my cart and then my 50lb suitcase. I wheeled it out of baggage claim, got a little confused and some Indian gentleman pointed me in the direction to go. I followed the carts to the elevator. After waiting numerous turns to get down, I finally made it to the exit door, then realizing there was a ramp I could have gone down! Oh well!

I followed the masses outside and there was a wall of people (literally) crammed together- some holding signs and some not. I found two men with the name of my school. My name was on their list and for one man, my name was on the back of his sign. He is the gentleman that took my things to the car and drove me to my hotel- Al Raha Beach Hotel.

And so NOW the real adventure begins!

I am moving over to my new blog that is all about our life in Abu Dhabi. If you would like to continue on this journey with me, please send me your email address so I can allow you access. It will be a closed blog since no one has commented on this one and I don't know who is reading! Hope to hear from you soon!!!!

Love,

SillyMe