Sunday, February 7, 2010

My Trip to India...

Jet lag is a Mother F’er and has kicked my ass this last week. I’ve traveled half way across the world and while trying to catch up on sleep and get in sync with this time zone, I’ve also had to claw my way up and over of a pile of paperwork that pales in comparison to Mount Everest after not being at work for seven business days.

Blah, blah, blah, after many requests from family and friends I am finally posting something about my trip. Sheesh! Give an old girl time to catch up with some much needed beauty sleep…


Part One

I arrived at O’Hare International Airport in Chicago at just after 5:00 p.m. on Thursday, January 21st, for a 7:15 flight. The last time I was at this airport was in 1995 when I flew to New York with my sister. Because we generally fly out of Midway Airport (it’s closer and much less congested) I was in unfamiliar territory. To top it off I was flying international and not quite sure what to expect or where to go. I found the American Airline counter and got in line. The man ahead of me was wearing a turban so I asked him his destination. “Delhi”, he replied; so I figured I’d follow him after getting my boarding pass. That lasted until we got through Security…or I should say until I got through Security. Apparently his shoes (or something in them) were quite suspicious and they pulled him aside. What?!?

I made my way through the terminal to the gate and what a hike! O’Hare International is huge. I found a seat and tried to read while I waited to board. I tried, but couldn’t concentrate. I was both nervous and excited. I started thinking about the long flight that lay ahead and the fact that I was traveling halfway across the globe to a place I’d never been and had only seen in books or on TV. And then…then I realized I was actually traveling halfway across the globe to a place I had only seen in books or on TV and the sheer excitement of it took over. I was going to India!

I decided after a bit it was probably a good idea to use the restroom before we boarded. I retraced my steps back through the terminal to find said restroom and when I was done I pulled up my big girl panties and headed back to the gate. By the time I walked back the group number on my ticket was boarding. I got in line and was surprised that the passageway between the door leading out of the terminal and the door to the plane (what is that tube-like structure called?) was lined with at least 15 to 20 uniformed security people. In the midst of my astonishment I didn’t pay attention to if they were CSA or FBI or what. Each person boarding was pulled aside and interrogated asked about the reason for their trip in detail. “Why are you going?” “Who are you visiting?” “What date are you returning?” “Where, exactly, are you staying?” I was curious as to if this was the usual protocol, but Paul later told me he had never encountered anything like that. It made me wonder about that man that had been in front of me at the security check with the questionable shoes…

I found my seat and settled in. I was on a Boeing 777; so there were two seats on each side of the plane with and aisle next to them and a row of five more seats in the center. Mine was next to the window and as luck would have it, the seat next to it was unoccupied. It was a long flight, fifteen hours; but I was able to sleep for a good part of the time thanks to that empty seat.

When I first started blogging I did a few posts entitled, “Ten Things About Me and…”, with the notion of eventually having a list of one hundred things about myself. That, like numerous other things, has been put on the back burner on a really low flame. If you’re wondering what that has to do with my flight to India, let me tell you. If I ever finish that list it would have to include food. I grew up in a very ‘meat and potatoes’ type of environment. Nothing fancy or exotic, not a lot of sauces, spices, etc. My palette has evolved since but there are just some things I don’t like/eat. Two are fungus mushrooms and eggs. I will eat the white of a hard boiled egg with salt around Easter time, but just don’t eat them otherwise. So the meal choices on the plane were ‘chicken with mushroom sauce’ for dinner and ‘an omelet’ for breakfast…or vegetarian. I opted to go the vegetarian route for both. I recognized rice and a chick pea or two, but other than that I truly wasn’t sure what I was eating. Thus my first ‘taste’ of India was from airline food……

7 comments:

Unknown said...

Yea! I am glad to know that you made it to and fro ok, jet lag aside. I can't wait to hear more...

I can't find my blog said...

I've been waiting for the story too! Glad you're back and getting into the swing of things!

Badass Geek said...

Fifteen hours on the plane? Ouch.

Sheila said...

I'm so glad you were able to have this experience and were able to see that husband of yours.

But I'm so glad you're back cuz I missed you bunches and bunches.

Evansmom said...

Can't wait to read the entire story

areasontowrite said...

can't wait to read more!!!!!!!

Lola said...

Yeah, there's not a chance in hell I'd last 15 hours on a flight without taking hostages and getting myself thrown in jail somewhere or other!!!

Glad you survived.