End of the Road - Last Entry for Roam Mania

Remarkable factoid:  In the past 8 weeks, I have flown a lot both internationally and within Romania.  Every flight was on time leaving and arriving and my luggage arrived with me.

While I was sitting in the Chicago airport, one guy was walking the concourse shouting at the top of his voice: "Don't take United Airlines.  They rip you off.  They cancel flights.  They leave you stranded.  They're never on time."   Shortly after that, my flight was announced but the guy began: "In spite of what some people think, Flight 7350 to Rochester is on time and will not be cancelled.  All passengers are now invited to board through Gate 2D"  We actually left five minutes early and got into Rochester 20 minutes early.

Six folks from church met my plane and were very considerate of the many hours I had been flying.  Deb and Martha dropped me at my hotel and Terry and Terry drove to Hamlin and Rev. Lu drove to Albion.  Tony headed out to Gates.  I was very touched that these good friends would stay up so late to make sure I knew I had been missed and was welcomed home.

I stayed up about half an hour and then went to sleep after about 24 hours awake.  I got up at 7, talked to some friends in Poland and Romania, caught up on a day's worth of email and went down to have breakfast.  Although I hadn't missed any American foods while I was travelling, when I found biscuits and sausage gravy in the breakfast buffet, I found a typically American dish.  It was good.

Paul picked me up at 10 and brought me home.  He didn't stay because he was just starting to recover from the H1N1 and didn't want to risk sharing it with me.  I doubled up on my Vitamin D for the day, just in case.  I spent a low key day, grateful that Naida had left some soups in my fridge.  Although I was worried that I wouldn't remember how to drive, my body seemed to remember when I drove downtown to get milk and bread.

Once again I want to recommend No-Jet-Lag because, at least for me, it works.  Bart went on a minor tirade by Skype from Poland, insisting that homeopathy equals placebo.

Thank you for accompanying me on this journey.  You don't know this but your presence to me while I was away smoothed over rough spots of loneliness and homesickness.  The ramifications of my trip will continue to unfold in the days and weeks ahead. This is the end for now but I hope you will consider coming along for my next journey, whereever that will take me.  I still haven't gotten to Bulgaria, Ukraine, or Montenegro and I promised Marianna that the next time I come to Moldova, I will visit her parents' homestead.  She said her mother makes the best sheep cheese in the world and her dad the best wine.  Jenny has told me I have to come to Hong Kong and I'd love to get back to the Middle East.  Who knew that only working one full-time job instead of two would afford me these possibilities.