My grandparents called one last time to say "goodbye" to me...I miss you, Grandma and Grandpa! You watch Jeopardy! for me while I'm gone, ok?
We decided to go to the best grocery store in the world (bye Publix...shopping has been a pleasure!) because I had forgotten two of the most important travel needs: gum and lemon drops.
Am I the only one who thinks this gum looks like men's deodorant? Ew.
After that, I went home and packed some more. I was definitely in freak-out mode, trying to fit everything inside of my luggage. I must have weighed and measured my luggage dozens of times. I was so worried that I'd go over the weight limit.
Around midnight, Tomas and I headed back to Jason and Laura's to watch the meteor shower. My heart was already beating fast because I was stressed...and the latte at the coffeeshop didn't help. Then, as I was walking up to their door, Jason and Laura leaped out from behind their car and screamed "BOO!" as I was walking up to their door. I'm so glad my heart held up. ;)
So, yes. I was definitely on edge. I kept asking myself, "Tara, why are you going to watch shooting stars when there are a bazillion things you could be doing at home?"
And then, I lay on the ground.
Wow. I need to watch stars more often. It was so peaceful. I can't even describe what I felt. After hours of fretting and stressing out, I felt calm and reassured. You know how you're supposed to think of a quiet place to help yourself calm down? That is my new quiet place.
I was the last one to see a shooting star. It was rather funny...you get all settled out there, and when you don't see a star right away, you begin to get impatient and say things like...
"Alright, God. This was supposed to start at midnight. Let's get this show on the road..."
But it's not like that. You have to wait and be patient. You have to be still. I missed a ton of stars because I took my eyes off the sky. There are a lot of life lessons in stargazing. I highly recommend it. ;)
When I finally did see a shooting star, I got SO excited. It made my whole night. We saw about a dozen in the two hours we were out. All of my wishes had to do with packing and getting through security at the airport. :)
Ok, funny story. It had been awhile since we saw a shooting star when, suddenly, I saw a beam of light shooting exactly parallel to the ground. I sat up and shrieked, "WOW, LOOK AT THAT ONE!"
It was the lights of a car reflecting off the telephone wires. FAIL.
Around 2AM, Tomas and I drove home. By the time I finished packing, it was suddenly time to get ready. I changed clothes, and tried to get it into my head that just because I hadn't slept didn't mean that a day hadn't passed. Boy, does skipping sleep mess with your mind.
We made it to the airport on time. My poor dad was still very sick. One of the worst parts was getting our bags to the check-in counter. Imagine a man with the flu and a petite girl with no muscles trying to lug seven pieces of heavy luggage around. (And you better believe I got my money's worth--I went right up to the weight limit, but not an ounce over!) My back ached after just a few steps.
My dad had gone ahead at one point, and I was struggling juggling my backpack and suitcases. Some man appeared out of nowhere and helped my hoist my backpack up. Let me describe him. He looked a bit like this guy, and he was wearing sunglasses (indoors), a ski cap, a graphic zip-up hoody, and the craziest pair of patchwork corduroy pants you can imagine. Oh, and he had sparkly pink fingernails. It was surreal, people. I'm still not sure that he wasn't a hallucination from lack of sleep. My dad wasn't there to see him, and the next time I saw Mr. Sparkly Nails, my dad was in the bathroom. My dad came out, Mr. Nails disappeared. Spoooky.
We boarded our plane on time. Is it just me, or do those seats get smaller and closer together every time? I was in a middle seat. I hate middle seats. I couldn't lean on my dad, and though the lady to the other side of me looked super cuddly, I didn't know her, and personal boundaries exist even on planes. So after staying awake for twenty-four hours, I was stuck in an upright position for another four. Good times.
I was tired, so I didn't talk to the lady next to me, even though she gave me plenty of openings. I could tell she was watching me laugh and cry my way through my aunt's letter. (I love it when people give me stuff to read en route. It makes me happy. Thanks again, Auntie K.) It was abnormal for me not to talk to the lady...I always feel like a flight is not a flight unless you're BFFs with the person you were sitting next to by the time you arrive. I was just too tired to care at this point. I'm sure I made a terrible impression, slumped in my seat and actually doing the whole, "Are we there yet?" routine with my dad. I figured I'd never see her again...
Pictures from the air...
I love the pretty colors!
If I didn't know that this was an aerial view of Utah, I'd be convinced that my camera somehow took a close-up picture of Mr. Sparkly Nail's corduroy pants.
Back to the flight. Finally, the movie started. I had looked it up online beforehand: Star Trek. I was so confused when they started The Soloist, but I got all excited, because I wanted to see that one more anyway. About five minutes into the movie, they turned it off and started Star Trek. Whatever.
I actually liked Star Trek. It was fun. But can I just say that having the end narration say, "To boldly go where no one has gone before" just ruined it all for me? People should just put on their big kid underwear and deal with the fact that famous quotes are famous quotes, and they should not be tampered with just to make them gender-neutral. What's next: "One small step for a man; one giant leap for humankind?" Or are we even allowed to use "man" to refer to Neil Armstrong nowadays?
But getting back to the actual movie...it was funny, because we always seemed to go through rough air at the most intense parts of the movie. I had to keep reminding myself that I was flying on Delta, not The Enterprise.
The movie kept being interrupted by announcements from the pilot. At one point, he said, "Has anyone lost a dog? There is a small dog roaming around the cabin that looks a little bit like Toto." I'm just hoping the owner didn't let it out for a potty break...
As our plane landed, I found out that the lady I'd been ignoring for the past four hours was heading on the same connecting flight I was. She lives about 40 minutes from the college. What are the odds? After that, I wished I'd talked to her! She gave me her card anyway and told me to call her if I needed anything. She tells Tupperware, so I know who to call if I need kitchen containers.
We arrived in Lewiston...the best airport in the whole world. It has two gates, one baggage claim area, and a snack bar. The end. Finding my luggage was a piece of cake.
I had been without sleep for 31 hours. This is what I looked like:
Scary stuff.
Here are some pictures of the ride from the airport...
We ate at Applebee's, and then drove to our hotel. I was exhausted. Our room wasn't ready, so we parked in front of the hotel and slept. I fell asleep in ten minutes or so. I woke up when my dad told me our room was ready. I don't know why, but I started insisting that I shouldn't go to sleep. My dad thought I was serious, and started telling me that I needed to sleep. I have no idea what I was saying. I was half-asleep.
We crashed. It was 2:30PM. We didn't wake up until 7:00AM the next morning.
We ran errands the next day, making the obligatory Wal*Mart run. After that, we went to Staples and Bed, Bath, and Beyond. Can I just say that I LOVE Bed, Bath, and Beyond's Pack 'n Go program? A few days before I left home, Laura and I went to the local Bed, Bath, and Beyond and scanned a bunch of stuff.
I felt like I was getting married, registering for stuff like that. :)
"Oh, it's a magnifying mirror? I thought it was a relief map of the moon! These things should be sold with a pre-printed suicide note!" ~Rhoda Morganstern.
Yesterday, I went to the Bed, Bath, and Beyond here in Idaho. I told them my name and all the stuff I scanned in FL was brought up to the front counter. I paid for it, and they helped me out to my car. I am now in love with their store. Everyone, go shop there.
After that, we went to my new home! More on that later... :)
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