<- I started my day, 0600 CET in MdP I looked like this.
I eventually made it to Monterey 2117 PST where my parents were waiting for me with hugs and drove me home to meet my little brothers. Finni (pictured here ->) took to me right away. Tucker? Well I now know how visitors feel when Nico stalks them, but I'll win him over. Mark. My. Words.And yes.
You knew it was coming- it always does.
International travel is always an adventure but compounding it with the fact that this is the first time in 12.5 months I've stepped foot on American soil? Momma mia, let the reverse culture shock begin. Not to mention the "well, it's not like this in Europe" comments...
#1 Why did it have to rain this morning making my last Naples drive for a while such a mess? Even more bothersome? The fact that it didn't really bother me. The shocker? On the drive home. The reflective lane dividers on the drive home AND people stayed in their lanes!
#2 I know it's typically Americans that get the back rep for "ugly traveler status", but fellow Americans I tell you that this time around that it was a German man on my Naples to Munich segment. With his shoes off, multiple special requests before the plane was loaded, he felt right at home to remind the 2 Italian men next to him that they weren't the only ones in the exit row. Yeah, apparently all the leg room in the world didn't make up for the fact that the guy in the middle seat was claiming the arm rest? When we landed, besides making the comment about Italians never listening or waiting to remove their seat belts (as mine was already unfastened) he acted like he was in no hurry. So then, can someone please tell me why he got on the girl I was sitting next to case about rushing him when his long reach and ample space to manuever his bag? This was after the 4 immendiate rows around us had all helped with the luggage switch since our stuff was all mixed up. Yep. Jerk of the day goes to him.
#3 Stanley injury (round 2) was great practice for sitting and doing nothing but watching movies for 10 hours at a time. I only took a few naps in between all the movies I watched on the long haul. 42 hands down was my favorite one I watched and it's on my "need to acquire" list despite having to look at Dodger uniforms the whole film.
#4 Only in the US do citizens holing passports for the county of entry have longer lines than its visitors. And yes our lines are way more diverse. And yes, the number of people working vs the number of podiums was a terrible ratio for us travelers.
#5 SFO Immigration people rock! Why? I only have 1 more unstamped legit page (cause everyone knows- expect for Russia- that those pages aren't for stamps). I hope Munich pulls through for me on the return flight, but if they don't I'll need a travel adventure buddy to a non EU country out/back before 23 January.
#6 Security lines suck in the US. Are we paranoid? Untrustworthy? Maybe, just maybe, if we didn't play world police we wouldn't have these issues? Is this the delusion kicking in???
#7 I'm sure seeing more orange and black than red and gold...and it's a beautiful thing. I do love my fellow SF Giants fans.
#8 Sitting at SFO, listening and observing...momma mia...I'm sure not in Italy anymore. No- I'm not being a European snob. I'm just saying that all of this seems so strange and I'm annoying by 75% of it but I think that is because I can understand the conversations happening around me.
#9 No matter how many times I see them- the stacks of the Monterey Bay Aquarium are a beautiful sight to see.
#10 Even better than those stacks? Seeing my parents waiting for me as soon as I turn the corner. Every time. Traveling is 1,000,000 times better when you have someone(s) you love waiting for you on the other end.
Phew. Okay. Now I can go track down a cat, maybe the one meowing in the hall and get to sleep before my body realizes what time it is back in Naples....
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