Well Happy Birthday Didi! Just like ollldSeptember 15, 2010 I left for Madrid and now 11 months to the day, I am heading back to California. Kathy LaMothe and I held our breath when the scale was reading each suitcase. Lyle had kindly weighed himself with and without my suitcases so I could get them within the weight limit. I pulled everything out, including jewelry which I baggied for Kasey if she wanted it.
Now I was finally on a plane and we had been waiting 90 minutes in the aircraft to take off for Michigan. In our decent I couldn’t find my cell phone. I looked and asked my neighbors around me to see if they could see anything but when we landed I had 20 minutes to catch my next flight, so I bolted. I called my parents from another passenger’s phone to say they should check the status of the flight online and find me at the curb at LAX.
Sorry parents, I’m going to out you. I was finally in LA and when I got into the car, the second thing mom and dad said was something to the effect of “we’ve been sitting in this line for 45 minutes!! You would not believe the traffic!!!” …like an outer body experience…WHAT ABOUT THE LAST 11 MONTHS I'VE JUST GONE THROUGH!!!!!!!! It was a really challenging 10 weeks: the challenge of working in a new industry, new pressure, keeping up with the acronyms, figuring out and fitting in with the office culture, success, failure, success, failure, brain going on strike, why on earth is my Madrid 20 not sweating out with these stairs in this humidity, success, failure, success…etc. I think I felt the brick wall plow into me about week 8. Going from school to work felt like I was in equally foreign territories which meant I had to work really hard to keep up and feel like I was getting it. And I’ll be the first to admit I tried to do everything I could, wherever I was. Thankfully, the third thing mom and dad said was “how are you?!”
It was almost midnight, we were home and I could wake up tomorrow and start my vacation. Up at 5:30 am, walking with the mom ladies. Why? I don’t know, maybe it's guilt that launches me out of bed, the walks are always good company too. Carolyn was going to be leaving for Saint Petersburg, Russia in a week and she had take this day off. Thank goodness. My grandpa too was in from Illinois, staying for a little bit. Carolyn, mom and I headed to do some shopping, then buffered our dinner with DVR, Carolyn and my dad are trying to fit in the last week of their favorite shows.
The next day another 5:30 am walk with the moms followed by a trip to home depot…bring on the first round of yard work. Gardening or the 6 miles of power walking rendered me sunburned with a back thrown out. The yard looked awesome and grass would hopefully be sprouting before I left. I know August isn’t the season for grass growing, but this seed apparently will grow on concrete in the snow…and one area of my parent’s front yard is finicky. That’s a kind way of putting it, but really in order to survive the Byer landscape you’ve got to come with a “will not die under most circumstances” label. Since I was little I have loved to garden. For one secret Santa Christmas when I was maybe seven, I got a watering pale with days-of-the-week underwear in it. A little bit publically scarring but I loooooved that watering pale.
Carolyn and I went to her last week of dance classes including Bollywood, two rounds of Zumba and Flamenco. It was hard for me, but Carolyn was awesome! So I take back my previous comment – gardening, walking 12 fast miles over 2 days or Bollywood threw my back out. My dad and I had a good laugh when I said I was sore. “Carolyn goes to these classes like 3 or 4 times a week!” I couldn’t move after my first class. We had game nights at the Berbers and breakfasts at Julienne’s. Drinks with Nina at the Langham and Carolyn and I watched Jane Erye every night before we went to bed.
The Saturday before Carolyn left, we had a going away party and I got to catch up with a lot of family. Meet a new member cousin Lisa and Maricio's daughter AND say hello to some blog fans – shout out Jean and Michael!!
The next day Carolyn and mom packed up her sole suitcase, what champs!! Mom, dad, Carolyn and I headed to the airport and called Michael and Leo on the way. LAX was a breeze and we were at the security line before we knew it. It was time to say goodbye for the next nine months. Wow, what a cool feeling for her!
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| From August 2011 |
Following the send off, my parents dropped me off at Union Station, I was headed to San Diego to see Kristen.ddd times.
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