Traveling...TO MICHIGAN!

I wrote this post Friday to Saturday while actively engaged:

I'm sitting on the plane to Anchorage. None of you know I'm coming home. I just hope that I make it there in time. I was suppose to leave Mountain Village at 3:45pm. Took off at 6:00pm. Then when I got to Bethel, I checked in from the arriving flight. I had never taken a plane through Bethel before. It was supposed to leave at 7:10pm. They didn't tell me I was supposed to check in (you don't check in in the Bush! You show up, say I'm here for this and they load you up). So they almost didn't let me get on. Then we waited forever! My layover time of 50 minutes was dwindling away. We finally head to the plane and we can't take off because in the time the plane sat there for the freaking terminal people to get their crap together, ice collected on the wings. So the pilot went to look for deicer. Um, their deicer was out of batteries. So we waited more. They finally found a hand one. So we spray an we leave. Everyone is feeling horrible for me because of my layover that is pretty much gone at tho moment. I just keep hoping that we have a good tailwind and we get there quicker and I can run really fast through the terminal. The worst part is that when you fly in or out (or around) the Bush, you don't go trough security. So now I have to go through it to get on my Delta flight. It would be soooo much better if I could jut run down the hall, but I'm goo to run as fast a I can.

Plane I flew Mountain Village to Bethel on

The Captain's...log?

Beautiful sunset

So I've reached the time in the flight that I told myself I could start worrying. It's 9:09pm. My Delta flight takes off at 9:50pm. Whew. I can do it. If they would only get to the airport soon... And they have their stupid important headphones on so I can't ask questions. I know. I can't control anything. But I sure wish I could tell them to speed up...

 As I sit here at 9:23pm and my chances of making my flight are slipping away, I'm getting more depressed. Maybe I'll be able to buy presents in Anchorage for people. I just keep holding onto that 1% chance that my flight's delayed. But then I don't want to put people into my same predicament. I see the line of clouds out the windshield which should mean that we're heading down. Into land. But with my luck it's jut going to push me farther and farther back... You can't see a thing out the windshield in this cloud. We're flying blind. We're heading down, but to where?

9:39pm and my next flight leaves at 9:50pm...I see the landing lights. Shit this doesn't look good. Excuse my French Aunt Betty. Oh no. We're better now. A little more level. They did a good job landing at 9:45pm but that wind was blowing like crazy!  They opened the door of the plane at 9:49pm.

Okay. So I missed my flight. Not really happy. I cried. I yelled. I got people in trouble. Now I'm moving on. Mom and dad and Connie and Jack and Bob and Anne, I'm sorry. I was going I surprise you at the tailgate. Now in going to have to meet Mom and Dad at Henry's birthday party.

The DOUBLE Captain Morgan and Sprite that helped me get over my grief

God rubbing in my missing the OSU/MSU game after I just missed my flight

My plane to Flint...It was snowing outside

Ice and I are fighting. The next available flight was at 6am. So I'm on the plane (window seat thank heavens!), but it's 6:11am. We had to wait for the deicer. Oh, did I mention the one and three year olds with their parents sitting behind me? They scream/talk very loudly. And mom is a good mom. Is very quiet when they're talking and redirect. However, I'm tired. Shut their mouths! I say with the sweetest of emotions:). And of course I am sitting next to the only two women on the plane who want to read and insist on turning  on their lights. I have had...10 hours of sleep the past 72 hours. Urgh.

Ice on the wing...

Spraying the wing

The deicer...

Beautiful Sunrise

I just love the clouds...

See?

How pretty?

If the kid says "ga ga!!" one more time....

I slept! On a plane! For an hour! I feel good. This might not seem strange to you, but as Alicia can tell you, I've never slept on a plane before (unless you count the 10 minutes I fell asleep on the 5 hour flight on the way to Anchorage...I didn't sleep on the 8 hour red-eye flight to Europe...never).  I woke up to the baby SCREAMING her head off. I was worried her ears were hurting but I believe that they were stretching her.

By the way Phoebe, I just found one of your hairs on my sweatshirt. I just bought this in Anchorage! How did it get on it?! Oh my gosh Sara. The book I'm reading (third of the one you are) I'm crying on the plane. Came out of nowhere! We'll talk when you get to this point. I look like a fool!

If you all in Michigan see me in the next few days and I look a bit scraggly and disheveled...no judgements. I showered in the bathroom of the office of a bush school on Friday, I slept for an hour of the eight I spent in an airport in anchorage, I've spent five hours in front of a screaming child, been on 6 planes in three days, and am now up to ten hours of sleep in 90 hours. No judgements. It's to come see the people I love! =)

Myself before I left Mountain...I tried...

Myself before I left Anchorage...I was still working on it...

The pilot just said that we would be leaning with 79 degree weather. Matty, how is that cold?

I got into Minneapolis and went straight to my gate.  I waited for about 10 minutes and then I was on the plane to Detroit.   I had the sweeeeeeetest flight attendants.  I sat down and the man informed me that this was the VIP section (I was in row 39).  I told him that I was going to lay down on the 3 person seats if no one showed up beside me.  The last two people on the plane were next to me...isn't that always the case?  The woman attendant came and told me they had a few empty rows and that I could go in the very back of the plane and lay down.  She even gave me a blanket!  They were sweet.

Then we landed in Detroit.  I had a little over an hour...however if you've ever walked from terminal A to terminal C in Delta in Detroit, you know how long of a walk that was...I only had to sit for about 20 minutes before I boarded my flight.

Yup, I totally bought an Alaskan Sushi Roll...

They asked for people to jump flights.  I almost did, but no one could come pick me up (or so I thought).  Dad was at the MSU game (I thought Mom was too) and Al was at Matt's party.  I found a woman's watch in front of the teller counter, and gave it to the clerk.  The woman soon came back to get her watch and thanked me.  She got onto the plane and handed me a $20 bill.  I told her I wasn't going to accept that.  She said that I was young and needed the money.  The guy next to me (who I had been talking about the Bush life to) goes "Dude, that's like 2 1/2 heads of lettuce for you. Be grateful!"  I was.  It was very sweet of her.

Honey Jack...mmmmm

The guy I rode next to on the flight to Flint was a pastor in Kansas and was going to Clarkston.  He was very nice.  It was good learning about his church and ideas.  I babbled the whole 19 minute flight because I was so excited to finally be home (AND NOT BE FLYING!).

Not afraid of those planes anymore I guess....

I touched down, RAN to get my bag (they took it at the gate in Anchorage so I didn't have to lug it around), and RAN to Alicia's car that she put in long-term parking for me.  There was a "Welcome Home Jac" sign waiting for me in the windshield.  I drove...of course the speed limit...to Matt's party.  The whole time traveling (24 hours to be exact), the plan was to get changed, do my hair and makeup in the bathroom when I was coming out of Flint airport.  On my second-to-last flight, I decided against this plan. On my last flight, I decided my new plan was "run to friends."  I threw a little makeup on in the car and got to Al and Matt as fast as I could.  I think I almost ran Al over with my body.  I cried I missed her so much.  I was so overwhelmed with wanting to be home and see people I missed, I let it out on her.  Then we walked into the garage, Al went in and told Matt to come outside.  He (begrudgingly) came outside, looked at me, and said "What in the hell are you doing here?" took me into a hug, and I didn't let him go for a full minute.  I cried again.  I was so tired and had so many emotions in such a short time.  He told me not to cry.  I go, "I'm just so tired and emotional right now." All night long I'd randomly grab a friend and hug them for a bit.

THE BIRTHDAY BOY!!!!!

It took about 1 glass of drink to get me intoxicated.  My tolerance is down...

The drink...

It was nice to just hang out with friends, play games, and let loose.  I laid down at one point under a table.  Alicia told me to go lay upstairs or get up.  I guess I was a little too tired/intoxicated because I looked at her dead straight and said, "Matty said I could.  I have five minutes."  Nick tried hitting me too.  Matty yelled at him too.  I believe it was, "She's traveled for 24 hours.  She's exhausted.  Leave her alone."  Thanks Matt.I got up again and partied.  Then I went HOME:) to OUR house.  I slept in a bed for 8 hours...it was heaven...

The Jello Shot tower that Glen made for Matty

Ohhh...Planking...with the Lesiewicz boys...