Goat Noodles

My first thought this morning was "Goat noodles." ...tired, jet-lag brain is fun.

So I'm home.  And I'm awake.  At an ungodly hour, even for me.  AND IT IS DAYLIGHT, what the hell?  Since WHEN do we get sunrise at 4:30 in the morning?

Flight home was, errr, fun.  So, I didn't leave Jamie's house until 10PM the night I left, which got me into London at 1:30AM (in no way anyone's fault but mine, I genuinely didn't want to leave) ...transit and shuttles to my hotel near the airport were no longer running, so I had to catch a taxi, which then took me to the wrong Travellodge - yaaaaay.  The reception desk wanted me to call another cab and switch hotels, but I was having none of it.  I was like "LOOK, it's 1:30AM.  I have to be up again in 4 hours to catch a flight.  Can I please just stay here?"  ...so I did, though the bed was comfortable, which is really the only thing I cared about (yay, not a floor!) there was no fridge for the cheese I brought, so I shoved that hanging out the window, and really, I wasn't there long enough to judge.  But the windows didn't open all the way, and the AC didn't work...and it was HOT.  But tired is tired - I can sleep through almost anything.

I got up at 5AM, was at the airport by 6AM to catch a flight at 7:45...only to find out that "Oh hey, my flight is delayed by two hours." - so I did what every person does in an international airport when their flight is delayed.  I went window shopping.  Bought a Terry Pratchett book and a hoodie (or a jumper, if you must) ...and I both started and finished the book during the flight.  Yeah.  I know, I'm just that good.  The hoodie is FANTASTIC - they've got this company called SuperDry.  Basically, I feel like I'm wearing a hug.

Anyway, I caught breakfast and passed out on the floor of the airport for an hour (most of yesterday involves the words "I felt like death") ...they boarded us at 10AM, aaaaand then we sat on the tarmac for another hour and a half while our plane decided to be mechanical, and engineers were working on it.   So my 7:45 start time became my 11:30 start time, and I learned a particularly sneaky airplane caveat that they throw in fine print when you purchase a ticket.

Did you know, Non-stop and Direct Flight mean two different things?  Non-Stop has no layovers, Direct Flight is allowed to stop bloody well wherever it feels like, so long as the Vancouver people don't get off the plane.  We landed in Edmonton and a bunch of people got off, but it meant that we sat there for about an hour before taking off into the air again.  I got to YVR five hours later than intended, and then I got to make the two hour trek via transit home.  I cheated at the end at took a taxi from Braid Station - I was delirious from exhaustion, and I was so done.  Plus, my stupid TEN DOLLAR transit ticket from the airport expired on me before I got home, and I will be damned if I was going to purchase another $2.50 one for a 10 minute bus ride.

 This is a bird we saw.  The three of us named him Sam.

Overall, the trip was fantastic.  There were a few places I never ended up seeing that I had planned to, but it's okay.  The only thing I regret is not spending more time in Brittany and Normandy along the French coast - it's stunning up there.  I never made it to Brest, which was supposed to be the super cool out-of-the-way place that I was going to go to, but I lost a few days during my trip - got stuck in Clermont an extra night, decided to spend an extra day with Jamie (should have spent more, really) ...etc.

Oh!  Oxford never happened.  We were being lazy bums, and I wanted to make pancakes for his family (which I have practically been adopted into)  Everyone in his family, with the exception of his dad - who I can't see saying sentimental things anyhow - didn't want me to leave.  His mom, on several occasions wanted me to stay, and told me if I perchance missed my flight, I could stay here as long as I want.  And I apparently make better pancakes than her (her name is Ana) and Jamie's brother Bertie (who apparently doesn't eat anyone else's food but Ana's) wanted me to stay so I could continue to make awesome pancakes.  It was really hard to leave - I was really touched by how much everyone liked my company.

Well, it was hard to leave England, period.  France was fantastic, it really was - and it was horribly hard to sail away from France, but England is different.  I LOVE England.  I really, really do.  It was hard to leave Jamie too - people shouldn't see their very good friends only once every year and a half - we were practically inseparable.  His family was awesome too.   

As thanks, I bought Ana a bouquet of lilies -which turns out to be her favourite flower, thank you, Jamie - oh, and I almost forgot to mention - WE PLAYED CHUBBY BUNNIES!

Okay, that sounds ridiculous.  It is, a little.  Chubby Bunnies is a game where you take a marshmallow, pop it in your mouth, and say "Chubby Bunny".  Everyone participating does the same, and then you pop a second marshmallow in your mouth, and say "Chubby Bunny".  It's quite simple.  You keep going until you can no longer coherently say the words "Chubby Bunny".  Or until you vomit.  Whichever happens first.

I actually took a video of it, which I'm going to try and process later and attach to the blog. 

But yeah.  Everything was great.  Except for France's rail network and my delayed flight.  Those suck.  But everything else was great, and fantastic, and wonderful, and I find myself wondering why exactly I chose to come home. 

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand call me crazy, but now I can start planning my next trip.  Anyone want to cycle 1300km through southern Thailand, Malayasia, and Singapore with me in November?  And while I have your attention:

SHAMELESS SELF PROMOTION PART OF THE BLOG:

I'm doing a bike race next month in August for MS - multiple sclerosis.  I need to raise $250 to be able to ride, and I've raised $175 so far.  I only need another $75 to compete, and I know most people will read this last line, roll their eyes, and continue on - I know this because I've done it myself in the past - but I really, really want to compete, and it's for a good cause.  So if you can only contribute (I won't say donate, because that word seems to scare people) - if you can only contribute $10, even that is wonderful.

Click me to help a poor cycling gal out!