I got ready for church and we headed to our last bus ride. Church sacrament was special today because Rosie had been working for weeks on preparing a Christmas Program. It went really well. Her choir, made up of mostly missionaries, did a fabulous job. It did break my heart when we didn't get to sing Christmas hymns bc apparently there are only two in the Lithuanian small hymn book. As it got nearer to the end I realized we were going to have to say goodbye to the girls, Sofia and Nicole and to Natasha. My eyes started to get watery and I knew I was going to lose it. Then shoma said the closing prayer, she is a Nigerian exchange student we met, and she prayed for us. We all started crying. Once we started it did not stop. What a mess. Then we had to say goodbye to the girls. Sofia held my the whole time asking me to please not leave. Then Dominyka grabbed onto me a with a death grip and sobbed. I hate goodbyes. I would have preferred to just leave. Finally in the car we composed ourselves again. We headed back to our apartment to collect our luggae and say goodbye. Dima picked is up and in the car we asked him to pray for our safe travels home and to help us be calm. He started to cry. It was so hard.
We did one last drive through old town and look at all of our favorite sites.
Then it was hugs goodbye and Into the airport we went. All of our bags were overweight. I had to pack and u pack 4 times to get from 70 pounds down to 55. My carry on which was supposed to weigh 20 pounds, weighed 40. But we made it through. However! When I went to get my ticket the lady said I had a seat to Copenhagen but that it was full from Copenhagen to Chicago and that she couldn't give me my seat from Chicago to lax. Oh, that's great news. Also our plane landed at 3 and our Copenhagen plane started boarding at 3.
When our plane landed we frantically made our way to the gate, which was not close. I had to get pulled aside while then. Figured out which lucky son of a gun got bumped up to first class so I could have their seat. At least I got a seat right? During this time Mikele was flagged and chosen as the lucky one. She got pulled into a little room and they checked all of her luggage and clothing. Finally, now we are all on the plane. I, again, am sitting by myself while the rest of the group sits together. Lucky for me I'm the first seat behind business class so it's a bigger area. Ten hours. Freak. AND this plane is late taking off. I decide to take a Dramamine for motion sickness and so I can pass out. An hour later I realize it is the non drowsy formula... Major oops
Then I have 1 hour to get off this plane, claim my luggage, go through customs, and get to my next gate for a flight I don't have a seat on.
Will I make it home? Right now I'm feeling doubtful but... There's always hope. Really though, my tears are going to start again if I don't get on my flight. Here's to the longest day of travel ever.
When we landed in Chicago I was really nervous. I high tailed it off the plane and ran through customs. I used one of the new electronic machines but got flagged bc I have tulips. Made it through first one and then waited for my bag... At 7:00 my bag still wasn't there and the plane left at 7:40. Keep in mind my body has had the most emotional day ever plus it's 4am and I've been traveling for 16 hours. I was about to miss my other plane. They told me there was nothing they could do just go get on the plane and fill out a bag claim form in LA. Do you know what is in that bag?! 5 months of irreplaceable items from 14 countries. So I run and realize I don't have a boarding pass. To the united gate I go to get help. Boarding pass achieved.
I then had to run and leave the airport bc Chicago is so big. Had to get on a tram and go to terminal 1. It's now 7:15. I have to re go through security. Of course I beep and need a pat down. Not one but BOTH my bags had to get special searched. Both. And the one I almost forgot except the man kept saying whose bag is this. I was too preoccupied with the other man freaking out about a tube full of sand. Which was salts. Now it's 7:25. I start my run. Two bags in tow with a purse my jacket and scarf flailing. Oh and I lost my SIM card in Lithuania so I can't text or tell anyone. So during this whole thing in trying to connect to chicagos iffy internet but my parents don't have iphones so we have to play the text kayla and Kayla call mom game. I'm sweating like crazy and look like death. Made it to the gate but since I was at the very end of boarding there was no more room so they had to check my carry on... You know the only bag I have left. I almost lost it. So now. I have no bags. At least I'm on my plane? Four hours... Then I have to pray my small bag makes it and figure out what to do about my big bag that is lost. I'm a mess. A really big mess. And when I don't sleep... It amplifies everything times five thousand and I get really sick. Here's to hoping they find my bag before Christmas or no one is getting presents this year. My mom would say it's just stuff anyway. But still...
Welcome to America. I'm home!
I regret to inform you that the adventure didn't stop. We landed and out gate was full. So we waited. Then we pulled up and we got locked in the plane. See the plane had gone too far forward and the jet way didn't line up. An hour later some vehicle pushed the plane back the six inches we needed to align properly. Then we heard my bag was on the next Chicago flight so we waited til midnight for the bag... WHICH WAS NOT ON THE PLANE
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