My Trip Home

The *#*#*# fireworks went on all night on New Year's Eve so I was wide awake all night on the couch trying to sleep and so didn't sleep a wink. Not a good way to start a long trip home but that's the way it was.

We had finished the packing late the night before I left so we didn't have a lot to do in the morning. I had my last blini fix. We were out the door before 9:00 and had a stop at the grocery store as Tami wanted to get more chocolates for me to bring home for a gift. The roads were deserted and she'd never seen them like that. We got to the airport in record time. After we walked in with all the luggage, we were shocked to find the LONG LINE. She'd never seen it like that before. After we were in line about 5 minutes, she decided to go find a porter. When she came back, he loaded all my luggage on a cart. Tami, the girls and I said goodbye and off I went following him. Having a porter has its perks as we walked right by everyone and went to the front of the line. That's the way it works in Moscow. After I got to the final check-in where I hand over my suitcases, the airline rep said it was $50 for my second suitcase. I told her that I had rubbles but she told me I had to pay at the Delta desk and get a receipt to give her. She kept my 2 suitcases and I had to go back outside the check-in area to where the line started. She assured me that once I paid my $50 and got the receipt, I could walk right past everyone and go back to her counter. It worked.

I took my time going down to the gate as the plane was an hour late and I had lots of time. I found a seat, propped my feet up on my carry-on suitcase and read my book. All of a sudden all the Russians were getting up and leaving the seated area. No announcement had come over the speakers in English so I had no idea why they were doing that. Then I saw a man that looked like he worked for the airport and I asked him why everyone was leaving and he told me that everyone had to leave the gate area. They all formed into 4 lines outside the gate and then airline personnel came and searched the carry-on luggage, pocketbooks, coats, frisked the people and passed a wand around them. A man in line across from me heard me talking to the college kids in front of me and told me about the Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit on Christmas Day so we figured that the US had new rules for all flights entering the country. The line moved slowly but I was glad for the extra security.

The flight was full and there were only a hand full of Americans. I read a lot and also had my earplugs in and wore my sleeping mask a few times when I just rested.

I took a limo shuttle back to CT and my friends picked me up. I walked in my house at 9:30 (5:30 AM Russian time the next morning) so I'd been up two whole days. I was so happy to get into my bed an hour later and get comfy in my fleece sheets.

The next morning I met my dog trainer friend at her business and got my little Liesel. She was so excited when she saw me and licked and licked my face when I knelt down. When the car drove in the driveway and she knew she was home, she was so eager to get out of the car. The entire weekend Liesel was my shadow and was always sitting on my feet or between my feet when I was standing at the kitchen counter.