(2.12.2011)
Let's start at the beginning of the journey- Saturday (2.12.2011) morning- the morning of my long anticipated flight. So I couldn't sleep- which is nothing new (I am a horrible-yet brilliantly productive insomniac,) but this morning was different. I woke up in with a startle thinking I had missed my flight. Sad, yes, I know. It's funny-I had started my countdown at 35 days til departure and somehow got caught up in all I had to do to get ready for this flight, that my countdown somehow propelled itself down to Day ZERO.
I'd been training myself to tire myself out so I could pass out on the flight-but adrenaline kicked in as I looked down at my last minute to-do list.
(If you know me- you know how heavily I rely on lists to pretty much run my life- I have a horrible memory, so if I don't put it down-it most likely won't get done. I have random lists scribbled on random scraps of paper in my purse, as memos on my blackberry and ipod-everywhere.)
So the previous days had been productive.
I hosted my Sayonara party for my peeps at the Crimson and Gold Bar/Grille near the DU campus. Where I had my 1st drink (take 2) for my 21st.
YES-I am straight edge, no smokey or drinky- for multiple reasons, but I'd always promised myself a glass of wine for my 21st since I was 11? Yeah- one thing became apparent that night. My strong dislike for the taste of alcohol-hey if you like it, knock yourself out. I hate the aftertaste, reminds me of bitters, a medicine that I used to drink when I was a child- bitters had me near vomiting. Not good.
Anyways- I also realized I have a high alcohol tolerance that night as well. I contained my drinking to the bar. I was convinced to go to Tracks that night (my first time-ever), a club to live up my last night in America. Little be known- that night was a HOTMESS. Fun, yes, but a mess altogether. Not good. (I might blog about it later.)
So I hadn't packed much, I had everything laid out and organized, the issue was that nothing had actually made it into any suitcases. :O This was Saturday morning-the day of my flight. Yeah, procrastination much? I excel in that. So I began my frantic packing. My mom who helped-being the master packer she is made sure I was set for my time there. WE AFRICANS DON'T PACK LIGHT-WE PACK TO SURVIVE. That should've given me an indication at how much my bags weighed.... fast forward- my errands took longer than anticipated and I kept getting calls from my mom saying, "everyone's waiting for you." I was to leave for the airport around 4:30 in the evening, my flight was scheduled to leave around 20 to eight that evening.
I had the surprise of my life as I walked in our apartment. Sitting somberly on the vintage brocaded pea sofas were The Chavez family, my mother, and 2/3 of the 3 musketeers: Sabine and Brandon. I was overcome by happiness to know they actually came to see me off. Brandon esp-because he had just gotten off from work and I had been talking to him while running errands and I had no idea he was waiting for me at my apartment. So we began transporting the luggage to the Chavez's giant SUV. :D
He even made the same comment I had earlier, "these bags feel more like 100 lbs than 50."
Cough. cough. looked at my mother. who told me to hush and vamos.
Life is funny, yeah. As in comically hilarious. While in the parking lot, loading the car. We met a woman who was also Ghanaian and lived in the same apartment complex as us. Her two daughters who had been visiting from Australia were scheduled to leave the same day as me. I was so excited, until I found out they were heading to Sydney. Coincidence? Nah, I don't believe in them- I believe in a higher being. Who acts as a puppetmaster, holding firmly to our strings. As the strings jolt us to the ground, we feel vulnerable, plagued with uncertainty, destitution, fear -we become human. As we are jolted upward, we feel peace as we are closer to something, someone we don't know-and for once our worries disintegrate as we hear a whisper, that for this once, we are going to be OK if we patiently wait. Call me crazy-that's how I live my life. Too many times have I felt plagued by this downward jolt followed by the jolt upward- so coincidence-I think not. It has led me to this point. Serendipity.
I almost had us turn the car around because I thought I had forgotten my wallet with my passport. Sabine and Brandon quickly gave me the HOTMESS CROWN (shifty eyes) and Jana gave me a list of books (I had always had on my to-read list) to choose for my long flight.
Ok- I seriously became a [study]-a-broad-zilla....like a bridezilla- get it? Very punny, but no joke. Days without sleep and frustrations of leaving made me crazy- this only worsened as we reached the airport.
Stay tuned for the airport diaries.
<3
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