KLM, My New Favorite

I am in Africa. After 21 hours of travel I finally made it. I left straight from work last Friday, and the adventure began as soon as I left for the airport. You see, I am not a US citizen and therefore to work in the US I had to secure a visa, which I did. The catch is that you have to bring your proof of employment and all that kind of paperwork with you in order to return. This is precisely where my adventure begins. In the whirlwind of getting vaccinations, malaria pills, visas and general travel prep stuff, I managed, with my extensive travel know how, to remember my paperwork at the check in counter. Which is a few miles (approximately) from where I live. Lovely! Luckily HR was kind enough to send me pdf versions of the paperwork to me, so problem solved…well problem solved when I get back actually.

The first leg of the flight was a seven hour trip to Amsterdam. KLM is officially my new favorite airlines. Why you ask? Well apart from the fact that they actually serve good food, their crew is actually friendly! In fact I was flirting with one flight attendant and she was absolutely accommodating! So much so that I was invited for coffee afterwards in Amsterdam. Given the fact that I had about a six hour layover in the airport I was thoroughly considering it. If it was not for the fact that several bottles of wine at 50,000 feet, no sleep (it was 2AM in the US when I arrived in Holland) and the fact that I didn’t have a watch on or the guts to tell my parents I missed my flight in Amsterdam, I told her I could not but that hopefully we could meet again on another flight. It was so like Lost in Translation, except without the awkward silence and we were on a plane. I thank her for all the wine, the two bottles of Dutch Liquor, her phone number and all the sweets in the care package she put together for me as we went our separate ways. As I mentioned in my previous blog on my previous adventure; ALWAYS flirt with the flight attendants even if you are not interested.

So I land in Schipol International Airport, Holland. I feel like crap. My eyes are burning. I need sleep. I’m hungry. I don’t know which to satisfy first. “One Heineken please!” What can I say, I was in Holland! Eventually I paid for an overpriced sandwich and found a spot on an airport seat where I could wake up every three minutes to “Ms. So n' So please report to Gate D5 for immediate boarding. If you do not report immediately we will begin to unload your luggage.”

When I awoke from the last of my many mini naps, I found myself extremely famished. I made my way over to a Japanese noodle stand where I paid for an overpriced chicken soba. Eventually, I made my way to my gate and proceeded to wait to board. Throughout the entire waiting process I was in and out of consciousness. Every time I came to, there were less and less passengers around me. I finally make my way to the plane that would send me to Africa.

On the plane, I sat next to a Nigerian man. The plane was pretty empty and we both looked at ourselves crammed up together next to a window. It was perfectly logical, if not expected, nor did it take much convincing. Once we took off, I had my own two sets an a window. Finally, after watching the Bridge to Tarabithia, I fell asleep. Great Success!

Sorry- - No pics until I get back! Or else I would have to wait forever and a 1/2 until they get uploaded!!