Day II Continued.
When I left off yesterday, I was finally allowed through the gates and into the terminal in Boston to catch my flight to London. I suspect I was still drugged or my memory was erased to save my sanity, but I do not remember much. I paced back and forth in the terminal area and eventually realized I couldn't remember when I had last eaten. Everything was fast food (which wouldn't sit well with my stressed stomach) except for my fancier looking place. I went in and they seated me next to a young man who was also eating alone. We had the awkward hello and continued with life. I ate grilled chicken and broccoli and talked to the guy more. He was Irish and really nice about the fact that I probably looked and smelled horrible. After that I have more memory gap in which I know I fell asleep on a bench and woke up to an older lady staring at me as if she wanted to take me home and take care of me. A random ground crew member of British Airways came up to me out of nowhere and, amazing as they are, asked me if I wanted to go to the private lounge since it was so busy in the terminal so that I would be less stressed. I have no idea how he found me from just my passport picture in a terminal with hundreds of people, but by George he did. This is were everything starts to look up a bit.
By the way, British Airways is amazing at handing anxious and sick flyers and I was not paid to make that endorsement.
After hanging out in the lounge and eating the free food there, and receiving judging stares from all of the fancy business people down there, I was called up when my flight was boarding by the lady at the front desk. Upon entering the airplane, the flight crew told me they had been expecting me (once again, amazing recognition skills) and introduced me to the crew and the two flight attendants who would be taking care of me. They also had moved my seat to the very back by a bathroom and in an aisle seat. Bless them. I had an older man taking care of me and he was magnificent. He made sure I had enough water and periodically checked in on me and held my hand when I was feeling anxious. I watched the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel II on the flight and then fell asleep. Luckily the wind was with us, so it only took 5.5 hours to cross the ocean and not 6 or 6.5. At one point I woke up hallucinating that the plane was filled with smoke, but the people on either side of me were calm and there were no flashing lights so I meditated my way out of that panic. Very scary.
Day 3.
At the end of the flight, my wonderful gentleman of a flight attendant asked me if I wanted to sit with him in the galley, so he strapped me in to the flight attendant chairs and held my hand and talked to me about all sorts of topics until the plane had landed and all of the passengers had gone. When I got off the plane, another flight attendant, a young man this time, told me to wait for him and he then took me through fast track security, helped me collect my luggage, got me checked in for my next flight, and pointed me to the inter-airport hotel.
British Airways- Seriously.
I got a bit lost trying to find the hotel... there were lots of elevators, but an elderly British couple could tell that I was lost and told me to follow them there. I realize at this point that I could have been easily kidnapped with how willing I was to follow anyone who offered me help, but at the time I was simply focused on survival and reaching my Jana.
The hotel front desk was amazing and prompt and did not stress me out by asking a million questions. Then a bell boy took all of my luggage up to my room and showed me how everything worked in there. The hotel is named Sofitel. I 100% recommend it. They put all of my receipts in envelopes so that I would not lose them. The bell boy sounded like he was from Poland or Eastern Europe. I then had another young man stop by to offer me any more towels or necessities; he sounded like he was from Italy. After bathing, sleeping, and getting in contact with my panicking parents through wifi, I ordered room service that was freakin amazing. The young man who brought it up and placed it in the correct place in the room sounded like he was from India. Judging by the fact that a good portion of the room service menu hosted Indian food, I think this is sound reasoning. He seemed to be a chef because he was deeply interested in knowing what I thought of the food.
I eventually checked out after resting some more and went to catch my flight. This part is all a bit muddled as well, but I walked a lot, got lost in the giant airport a lot, took a train in which a business man had to explain the rules to me, and made it to my terminal. I remember being tired and anxious because they did not post my flight until 10 minutes before takeoff. A woman asked me a questionnaire about my airport experience and how they could improve it, and I suggested more quiet areas in the terminal. (it was on a list of ones they were considering when remodeling that terminal).
When I went to board the plane, the machine made an angry beeping noise when my passport was scanned. I was scared to say the least, since I was so desperate to just make this last one hour flight to Germany. The lady pulled me to the side and asked if I was okay to fly. When I said yes she just moved me on and then the flight crew assigned a beautiful lady to me who sounded like Scary Spice from the Spice Girls. She periodically checked on me, gave me a large water bottle and food, and she and another flight attendant talked to me and held my hand on the landing.
BY THE WAY! The landing was so smooth that there wasn't even the normal bump. When I was getting off the plane the flight crew introduced me to the pilot. I thanked her for such a smooth landing and a crew member said it was girl power at work. I believe it. I can't imagine how much crap she has gotten as a female pilot in a majority male field. She flew us so smoothly I just meditated the whole flight and listened to classical Indian music to block out airplane noises. I had originally been seated further up in the plane, but the crew moved me to the abandoned back by the bathroom. I was grateful. I went through security and passport control and came out of the gates to see Jana and her dad Heiner. Crying from happiness was the general feeling. We went back to her house (which I have been to before many years ago and still remembered) and slept like rocks.
That sums up my travel to Germany. I will now begin posting the actual fun that I have been having since arriving, pictures and all.
P.S. If any of my coworkers are reading this, I am aware that my grammar and sentence structures are not always correct; I do not give a flying crap.
When I left off yesterday, I was finally allowed through the gates and into the terminal in Boston to catch my flight to London. I suspect I was still drugged or my memory was erased to save my sanity, but I do not remember much. I paced back and forth in the terminal area and eventually realized I couldn't remember when I had last eaten. Everything was fast food (which wouldn't sit well with my stressed stomach) except for my fancier looking place. I went in and they seated me next to a young man who was also eating alone. We had the awkward hello and continued with life. I ate grilled chicken and broccoli and talked to the guy more. He was Irish and really nice about the fact that I probably looked and smelled horrible. After that I have more memory gap in which I know I fell asleep on a bench and woke up to an older lady staring at me as if she wanted to take me home and take care of me. A random ground crew member of British Airways came up to me out of nowhere and, amazing as they are, asked me if I wanted to go to the private lounge since it was so busy in the terminal so that I would be less stressed. I have no idea how he found me from just my passport picture in a terminal with hundreds of people, but by George he did. This is were everything starts to look up a bit.
By the way, British Airways is amazing at handing anxious and sick flyers and I was not paid to make that endorsement.
After hanging out in the lounge and eating the free food there, and receiving judging stares from all of the fancy business people down there, I was called up when my flight was boarding by the lady at the front desk. Upon entering the airplane, the flight crew told me they had been expecting me (once again, amazing recognition skills) and introduced me to the crew and the two flight attendants who would be taking care of me. They also had moved my seat to the very back by a bathroom and in an aisle seat. Bless them. I had an older man taking care of me and he was magnificent. He made sure I had enough water and periodically checked in on me and held my hand when I was feeling anxious. I watched the Best Exotic Marigold Hotel II on the flight and then fell asleep. Luckily the wind was with us, so it only took 5.5 hours to cross the ocean and not 6 or 6.5. At one point I woke up hallucinating that the plane was filled with smoke, but the people on either side of me were calm and there were no flashing lights so I meditated my way out of that panic. Very scary.
Day 3.
At the end of the flight, my wonderful gentleman of a flight attendant asked me if I wanted to sit with him in the galley, so he strapped me in to the flight attendant chairs and held my hand and talked to me about all sorts of topics until the plane had landed and all of the passengers had gone. When I got off the plane, another flight attendant, a young man this time, told me to wait for him and he then took me through fast track security, helped me collect my luggage, got me checked in for my next flight, and pointed me to the inter-airport hotel.
British Airways- Seriously.
I got a bit lost trying to find the hotel... there were lots of elevators, but an elderly British couple could tell that I was lost and told me to follow them there. I realize at this point that I could have been easily kidnapped with how willing I was to follow anyone who offered me help, but at the time I was simply focused on survival and reaching my Jana.
The hotel front desk was amazing and prompt and did not stress me out by asking a million questions. Then a bell boy took all of my luggage up to my room and showed me how everything worked in there. The hotel is named Sofitel. I 100% recommend it. They put all of my receipts in envelopes so that I would not lose them. The bell boy sounded like he was from Poland or Eastern Europe. I then had another young man stop by to offer me any more towels or necessities; he sounded like he was from Italy. After bathing, sleeping, and getting in contact with my panicking parents through wifi, I ordered room service that was freakin amazing. The young man who brought it up and placed it in the correct place in the room sounded like he was from India. Judging by the fact that a good portion of the room service menu hosted Indian food, I think this is sound reasoning. He seemed to be a chef because he was deeply interested in knowing what I thought of the food.
I eventually checked out after resting some more and went to catch my flight. This part is all a bit muddled as well, but I walked a lot, got lost in the giant airport a lot, took a train in which a business man had to explain the rules to me, and made it to my terminal. I remember being tired and anxious because they did not post my flight until 10 minutes before takeoff. A woman asked me a questionnaire about my airport experience and how they could improve it, and I suggested more quiet areas in the terminal. (it was on a list of ones they were considering when remodeling that terminal).
When I went to board the plane, the machine made an angry beeping noise when my passport was scanned. I was scared to say the least, since I was so desperate to just make this last one hour flight to Germany. The lady pulled me to the side and asked if I was okay to fly. When I said yes she just moved me on and then the flight crew assigned a beautiful lady to me who sounded like Scary Spice from the Spice Girls. She periodically checked on me, gave me a large water bottle and food, and she and another flight attendant talked to me and held my hand on the landing.
BY THE WAY! The landing was so smooth that there wasn't even the normal bump. When I was getting off the plane the flight crew introduced me to the pilot. I thanked her for such a smooth landing and a crew member said it was girl power at work. I believe it. I can't imagine how much crap she has gotten as a female pilot in a majority male field. She flew us so smoothly I just meditated the whole flight and listened to classical Indian music to block out airplane noises. I had originally been seated further up in the plane, but the crew moved me to the abandoned back by the bathroom. I was grateful. I went through security and passport control and came out of the gates to see Jana and her dad Heiner. Crying from happiness was the general feeling. We went back to her house (which I have been to before many years ago and still remembered) and slept like rocks.
That sums up my travel to Germany. I will now begin posting the actual fun that I have been having since arriving, pictures and all.
P.S. If any of my coworkers are reading this, I am aware that my grammar and sentence structures are not always correct; I do not give a flying crap.
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