Day 21: The final stretch...

Day: 21

Countries: 6               Cities: 10

Bruges, Belgium

The final stretch...

Day 21

Saturday 9 January 2016

There's a little girl sitting on her father’s’ lap, next to us, waiting at the gate, speaking to her mother in Greek.

Welcome back.

We're nearly there. But by now: it's not soon enough. Fighting (or trying to at least, though maybe not as hard as I could be) to not get sucked into and bogged down in a negative state of mind about today. It's kind of a struggle after the rough morning we've had. It's kinda sucked…

Feeling stupid for not realizing we actually leave from the other Brussels airport—which is over an hour away!—and planning accordingly. We were having a decent, easy morning after not sleeping fantastically because of a light that wouldn't turn off and a blanket that was both too small and slippery, and upon a pillow that shouldn't be allowed to have that name because it was not substantial in the least.

Anyway. Had a decent continental breakfast. Was feeling good about fitting everything in my bag, including my jeans, so I just have clean new tights on my legs (and a dress—don’t worry, lest you think I’m boarding a plane only half dressed…) instead of tight fitting around the waist that has expanded from all this delicious food and three weeks of dirty jeans. I can't believe it all fit. That's an accomplishment in and of itself.

But we were waiting in the lobby feeling okay and thinking we had extra time when we went to call a cab and show the front desk lady our ticket.  And she pointed out that it wasn't Zaventum but Charleroi Airport—which is over an hour away! And by then we were running too late and stressed to figure out a way to get to Midi (train) Station and then take a 17euro bus that might or might not get us there in time… So we just bit the bullet and called a cab.

170 euros

(thank goodness split between the 4 people, but still…outrageous) later, with a stinky old cab driver with no sense of urgency and distracted by his stupid phone and checking on his multi-language chats with who knows who, and we finally made it to the airport.

A janky airport out in the middle of nowhere. And wouldn't you know, it’s Ryaniar's own, dumb airport. So just imagine all their, shall we say “quirks”? magnified to a whole airport. Ughh.

Ok. Move on.

Running to get to the line to check in we realize our flight is running 20 minutes late which left us with a good hour and a half before our plane takes off. So plenty of time. We probably could have made it slightly cheaper with the bus but who knows if we actually would have and the added anxiousness that might have caused.

And it's too late to change anything now. We made it. That's what matters. No use going back and worrying about it and trying to change anything. Trying to remember that. We made it. We made it. Thank God for that…

So we made it through security and are waiting at the gate, a little worse for the wear. But made it. Keep counting on that. Waited for a good hour. Now it's 12:14 and we are up and waiting in line to board.

Moving closer and closer to home. To Athens. A three hour (ish) flight, I think. And then pray we don't have a mess with the cab back to campus. And then we will be back. Send your angels with us the rest of the way. Help it go smoothly.

I don't want to end this trip on a sour note. So reframe. Now that that's all out. It was a mess but it's over and done and we learned from it. Won't make that mistake twice. And we made it.  

Now focus on the good:

We've had an incredible 3 weeks. Truly the trip of the lifetime. With a good, now even better, friend and intermittently with another good friend and new friends.

10 countries

6 cities

21 days  

20 nights

8 trains

4 planes.

Countless busses/trams/metros and an occasional cab (not all as harrowing and stressful and expensive as the last one).

An average of 10 miles a day. Sooo many steps!

Tours and museums and breweries galore.

We ate really, really well.

We saw so much.  

We did so much.

We experienced so much.

And I got all my postcards written and mailed out before flying out! So that's another accomplishment in and of itself.

It's been a truly wonderful and fantastic time. So thankful. So incredibly thankful. So glad I went. The trip of a lifetime with memories to last.

Τέλια J

so thank You. We made it this far. Help us make it the rest of the way. Send Your angels. Take every part. Help me focus on the good, process this. Please Lord peace Lord please. Every part.

Adventure is out there. Go chase it J

~