Time in the US of A

Happy New Year Everyone!!

So the challenge is to see how much I can write in an e-mail now I've had dinner and am feeling a little sleepy. Yes Erin, I know I told you I was gonna have a nap, but what's en extra hour or so without sleep now I've been going, what say, 36 hours??

What I want to emphasise is that yes I had a bit of drama getting to the States and a few hiccups at the end BUT I had a truly fantastic time and saw lots, as you are soon to find out. Just know that I may dwell on the bad bits because they make the drama in my story! You know what I am like, can't help myself. Plus if I remember, at some point I'll even put some photos online for you guys to check out.

Quite obviously this finds me saying hi in yet another new year and safely back at Pax Lodge. There's a few mixed feelings about that, but I am sure that'll sort itself out.

My story begins on December 24th at 2am in the morning. Well technically it was earlier because I was paranoid about sleeping through my alarm. Purely because I think from the word go I had just assumed something was going to go wrong and I wasn't actually going to make it into the States. Stupid passport paranoia...The taxi driver was late but when you compare that to his driving, I think I'd have liked another driver! Aside from the coughing fits which seems to physically shake through him, the whole driving in two lanes and shooting out in front of a speeding emergency vehicle was enough to make me fear for my life. That was nothing. The clincher was going through the tunnel at Heathrow which is a 30 mile an hour zone and he's cruising along at 50...I had images of my life coming to an end just like Dodi and Dianna. But I made it to the terminal, stopped just short of kissing the ground. I arrived at 3:30am just like I should have, three hours before take off. That's great, but the stupid check in desk didn't open until 4:30am at which point came the issue where my bag was able to be checked in but I couldn't. The system was throwing a hissy and the entire flight to Amsterdam wasn't able to be checked in. At the very least my bag would arrive in Cincinnati without me! All things sorted, I get my boarding pass and then have to wait until 5:30am until the departure lounges open, how dumb is that? Anyhows it all runs smoothly and I get on my BMI flight to Paris.

I want to let you all know now, Charles DeGaulle Airport in Paris is horrible. I hate it, hands down it wins. I made it to Paris. I was even thrilled to get off the plane and have a french dude say good morning and welcome to France in French. Yep, small things amuse small minds. Until those small minds realise that most of the signs I need are in French and anything past baguettes and croissants has me lost. I decide if I follow numbers it'll be fine, I'll get to an information desk. I clear passport control with not much more than a look and what I considered to be a grilling, maybe three or four questions. I know I don't have to get my bag because it's been tagged to Cincinnati. My challenge is to find terminal 2E. Sounds simple enough. Five people later after realising if I start with Bonjure people actually pay attention to me, I found my way to the Air France desk to get my boarding pass. Or so I think. DeGaulle airport is about six different buildings, all miles apart. I don't know this. I had a two hour stop over and at that point I was doing great. I managed to establish I have to get the shuttle bus to 2E and have to go out gate 22 to get on the bus. I do that. It's not until the bus starts to head away from the airport that I realise maybe I'd gotten on the wrong bus. Which I had. Trying to talk to the driver was yet another fun thing and a friendly reminder that I was way out of my depth. He tells me I need to switch buses because this one wasn't going not 2E. I get off at the next stop. Half an hour later, two number 2 buses and two number 4 buses have gone by. No number 1. At this stage it's now just before 10am. I still need to check in for my 11:10am flight. Its' official. I am freaking out. Knowing I'm not going to make my flight. The next number 4 bus arrives and I try talking to this driver to discover the number 1 bus doesn't actually stop at that particular stop. Oh Great. He tells me to get on and switch at the next stop. The next stop was exactly where I'd started. Good Grief. On the bus I get, stressing about the time and we hit a traffic jam. Not what I wanted at 10:10am knowing that half hour before the flight takes off they'll re-sell my ticket if I haven't checked in.

Eventually I get to 2E. Just before I line up, a fellow checks my passport and asks me to stand to one side. I don't have the time for this. Well, then Miss French Nazi herself comes over and I get the third degree unlike I have ever had before. She wanted to know everything. I even had to pull out the letter from Pax Lodge which was meant to get my back into the UK coming back, not to try get me out of Paris to get to the US. As you can imagine, she's got a strong french accent, and I'm traumatised enough by now to start shaking. I end up getting to the check in counter at 10:25am. Get my boarding pass and then try find my way to the gate. I hit passport control first for yet another round of questions, this one not so bad. Get past that and finally get to gate 72 at 10:40am. Well lets just chuck another passport check in there for good measure. The third degree all over again. I just was having a horrible time and getting worse at answering questions as I go along because I am now fully convinced I am going to spend Christmas in Paris airport in a horrible living nightmare. That woman lets me go and I make it to the gate desk. The lady looks at my passport, another co-worker looks as well and says 'Oh you're from Melbourne'. So I just jump on board and explain my life story basically telling him everything I've told everyone else. To which he replied 'Oh that's nice'. He was genuinely just commenting on where I was from...onto another bus (says Brussels) which takes me out to the plane, I board and am greeted by a friendly American accent saying welcome aboard. I have never been so happy to hear an American voice! I make my way to the seat and the captains now talking, he's going on about getting to Northern Kentucky International Airport, Cincinnati and I just burst into tears. It was all a bit too much.

The flight was like half full so I had three seats to myself which was great, I got a bit of sleep quite comfortably which was great considering how sleep deprived I was. There were a few random bursts of tears (I am serious, the entire ordeal was horrid) but overall am doing great. We land in Cincinnati and I've got all my paperwork ready to answer any question they want to throw at me, even have the plea speech ready incase for some reason they don't want to let me in. Line up and wait and wait and wait, get to the desk, the woman scans my passport, takes my photo and my fingerprints, asks two questions and wishes me a Merry Christmas. I could have hugged her. So off I walk to the baggage claim, am slightly confused as to which carousel I need to look on so I just take a look at all of them. And suddenly panic rises in me. None of these are my bag. Well that's it, I am ready to just give up at this point. Am standing there with tears streaming down my faces and the woman tells me I need to report it to the baggage office. Not that I know where that is. Go through customs and tell the guys don't' bother as I don't have a bag to check. One makes a wise crack about me being an Aussie travelling from the UK via Paris and how I should have known better. I wasn't amused. Out I go through a metal detector, shoes and all removed and wander down a long long hallway to what I assume was the arrivals terminal. Nope, somehow I have managed to find a departure lounge...So I follow a guy who also looks lost and end up out in the arrivals hall, going up an escalator looking at Erin and trying not to burst into tears. It wasn't great and probably not the reunion she'd hoped for. In the baggage office I'm told if they find my bag they'll deliver it. Doesn't much help. I only had one set of descent clothes and two days of underwear in my cabin bag (Kathy you are very wise, I'll never forget that travel advice!). All the Christmas presents I had unopened and to give were all in there. The charges for my camera and phone. Argh!

Walking out to the car park I am ranting to Erin, still not having said 'Oh Hi how are you, great to be here' when I spot one of the most trivial sights. Yep, snow. Well that was it, that just made things seem really okay for a moment. Apparently not snow by most standards, but when you're an aussie from Melbourne who has never touched snow in her life, it's a lot of snow! I don't much remember lots about the two hour drive back to Richmond, just know that at some point I realised the car was on the wrong side of the road and I didn't have a steering wheel in front of me. I also have a few issues reading signs. I know I asked about lots of different restaurant signs and what each was but can only vaguely recall some you can go to after church and some you shouldn't. There was probably some rational chain of through there, but at that time I couldn't find it!

Christmas and New Years were quiet but very nice and family like. It's always interesting to see how other families celebrate the festive season. Christmas day I had a great time despite the dark cloud of missing presents. I can't ever recall having pasta for Christmas lunch, but I've now done that! Plus I got some fruit in my stocking too. You ought to see the neat colouring book I got!! Crayons too!! Aww man I am such a big kid. I got some lovely things, lots of reading to do as well now. That night we drove up to the Kentucky Horse Park and saw FOUR MILES of Christmas light, mate I tell you it was great!! I have never seen so many lights in my life and some moved and had themes. There was even a radio station feed as you drove along which played Christmas Carols!!

Boxing Day found me hugging a suitcase for the first time in history. Yep, two days later the case arrives with the biggest violation ever. It didn't bother me so much that a padlock had been cut from my bags by customs (they put a note in) and you know what, it's not so bad they rummaged around in my clothes. But why open my Christmas presents for me?! I'm the big kid, remember?! I know I know, it's one of those things they have to do, but still...and it was also the day I was introduced to fast food Italian. Fazoli's is a brand new world, I mean baked Spaghetti and meat balls take away style with a very rich chocolate cake and milk too!! We ate with Mary and Martha, a mother and daughter in Erin's Girl scout Troop. Despite Erin being paranoid that Mary spoke too much, I quite enjoyed it, and learnt that Possums there (spelt Opossum) are actually rat like creatures! Ekk! Also at some point something came up about Trailer Parks and yep, you guessed it, yours truly asked to drive through one. Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! He he he. Kind of reminded me of Broadmeadows...I also ventured into the universe known as WalMart. Aww Man I tell you that place is HUGE. A wonder all in itself.

I got to meet a few Girl Scout Troop members, one family with a huge collection of cats! They had this black Siamese called Casper who was so huge!! But so lovely! At one point we were at the Gow Household and there's a knock at the front door and it's another mother and daughter dropping of a Christmas present for me. They made me a Squirrel feeder!! Now I just have to talk Doreen into letting me put it up...

Food was quite a new experience for me on all levels at all meals. The oddest by far would be cereal known as Lucky Charms. It's just so wrong to have marshmallow floating around with your wheat puff things in milk. Wrong. Still, didn't stop me eating them two days running for brekkie. Arby's provides the most delish curly fries you'll ever eat!! Wendy's has REAL hamburgers. Dairy Queen does great ice cream. I've had corn dogs and hush puppies and root beer floats. Three Musketeer Bars. Honey Dipped Doughnuts which were sooo yum! Real Southern Food at a place called Cracker Barrel which is just the sort of hearty meal you want on a cold winter's night. Proper Mexican food.

Lexington is the home of University of Kentucky. Erin gave me the tour of the complex which boosts her education and I was wowed, the place was huge. Learnt about Frats and Sororities, plus the library had these huge bookcases which moved when you pressed a button! And there were a million squirrels running around talking to each other. The campus even has it's own police cars which is cool. Also in Lexington was a library with a huge pendulum swinging from the roof. Saw two police horses wearing Santa hats which was a great novelty.

Lots of trivial things amused me as always. Lots of Southern Accents, even if I did have trouble understanding them. The highlight was 'have a good day Y'all' he he he. American flags everywhere. Servo's which remind you to pay. Self serv check outs. Eighteen different types of Ben & Jerry's in the freezer (I took a photo!). The little red flags on the side of your postbox has a purpose!! You put out going mail in there, raise the flag and the mail man takes it away when he goes past or delivers your mail! Hows that!! I just had to post postcards for the sake of it! Drive Through everything...ATMS & Banks (one of which we walked through), Pharmacy's, restaurants where waitresses come out on roller skates...

The weather was an interesting thing too. Had two storms, the first of which we were at home for and initially was pretty exciting when Erin declares it's Tornado weather, but then that little voice kicks in which makes me ask 'What happens if it is a tornado...' and the second storm we were driving in and it was like being in a fish bowl and had some of the most incredible lightening I have ever seen! It was brilliant!!

Saw the Chronicles of Narnia movie and was rather on the disappointed side. There are just some stories Hollywood should leave alone. Also made a visit to the little town of Berea and looked at Berea College. It's all so pretty. Wouldn't be too much of a bad place to study at I guess. Not far from there was a placed called Indian Fort Theatre which was kind of like a big wandering around in the wilderness thing accompanied by two dogs who just happened to be in the neighbourhood. Weird. But great scenery. Found the worst public toilet ever in a McDonald's, ekk it was horrid.

New Years Eve was lovely and quiet. A nice little bonding evening over board games. Don't laugh, I can hear you. We even popped Christmas Crackers after watching the Ball drop live from Times Square. Yes initially my plans to see in 2006 were to take place in Edinburgh amidst Hogmanay, but on the same token I wouldn't change how things did turn out. More than anything the one thing you do miss at Pax is the normalcy of life and family. It made a nice change to have that around.

The new year saw me introduced to the world of Kids on the Block, an educational puppeteering program which the Girl Scout Tropp performs at schools and things. Was introduced to Nam (Erin's alter ego) and Daniel (Nancy's alter ego (that's Erin's mum)) which was sheerly amazing, it was like having two new people in the room, so very entertaining and so natural. I took got drawn in by a puppet called Mike, an 11 year old red head with blue eyes and freckles. We bonded. He likes Spiderman and Chunky Monkey Ice-cream. Don't tell anyone that his 'mom' iron's his t-shirts though...it was so cool! Puppets rock, even if my experience with them has only been a recent development!

In there somewhere we also drove to Corbin, the home of the Original KFC and I even have a corny t-shirt telling everyone I ate where it all began!! We also went to Frankfurt, the capital of Kentucky and had a tour around the Capitol building which was really neat. Here we also visited a local candy company and went into the History Museum. Stupid woman at the counter didn't even know where Australia was...plus a visit to the Girl Scout Council in Lexington and probably a dozen other things which I can't quite remember at this point in time. Mind you, it's not like I haven't said enough as it is.

I did make it back to the UK in relatively one piece, disturbed by the information that somehow my credit card is caught up in a fraud investigation. Apparently I made some transactions at an ATM in London while I was in America...go figure that one out. Needless to say I am Visa-less at the moment. Not that I am too phased. Aww man, I forgot to tell you guys, I drove in America!! On real roads in a real car with traffic and everything was backwards. And yet I still manage to park the car so perfectly!! Go me!! It was a weird experience...

Hope this finds you all well and off to a great start to a New Year. I should probably get some sleep, I've a 7am start for training tomorrow and I haven't slept in many many hours. It's gonna be a long five days...

Stay Safe, take care and we'll talk soon,
Rachael