A buzz was in the air; a snowstorm was coming our way. These words would normally have me all excited. I love snow! The bigger the storm, the better! But not this time, this time the storm had me worried. It was due to start just about the same time as I had planned to head to the airport with two of my closest friends. I like it when they are my last taste of life in CT. That last goodbye is always special to me. However, on this trip, the big goodbye wasn’t possible. With the impending storm, we decided a professional driver was the way to go.
That is how I met Ed. He is a great guy from Guatemala. He handled the snow expertly, and when the roads turned into a sheet of ice, he kept the car facing the correct direction. We had a great conversation about our global travels while silently praying that we would not end up in a ditch like so many other cars did that evening.
It was below freezing, so I wore winter yoga pants, a long-sleeve shirt, and a jean jacket. It was not enough to keep me warm, but it was enough to keep me from freezing! I was thinking about the other side of the trip where the temp would be over 90.
My flight boarded and took off on time. The prayers for my departure were answered! It was a turbulent flight; it felt like an old wooden roller coaster at points. Then, like magic or an unimaginable torture of leg cramps, 12.5 hours later, I arrived in Doha. I had a nice long layover that allowed for some walking and stretching.
I was a tad bit worried as I boarded the next flight. Someone’s carry-on knocked my seat, and the arm was suddenly in more than one piece. I am not entirely sure if that seat was structurally sound like the attendant claimed it to be. Truth be told, I have to admit that I did wonder about the plane itself. If they are not keeping up with the simple visible mechanics of the plane then are they keeping up with, oh, say, the engine maintenance, for example.
We had an uneventful flight, and 8.5 hours later I was landing in Manila!