Right now I'm onboard an American Airlines 767 headed back to Dallas / Fort Worth, Texas. After that it's about a 90 minute drive home to my own bed which I have been missing, along with all of my friends. Today started at 4 am local time for me. I received a ride from my Aunt Linda to the airport which put us there at 5:45 am to check in my bag and get my boarding ticket. My flight didn't take off until about 6:15 am so we had some time to grab something to drink and chat about when it is I can come back again to visit my father and the rest of my family. At about 6:12 I went to the security check point and gave all of them a hug good bye and proceeded through the line where, surprisingly, they don't ask for a urine sample. After being asked the same questions by three different people I proceeded through the metal detector along side my bag, coat, and misc. pocket change and contents which passed through the x-ray machine to my left. I made it to my flight with plenty of time to spare and boarded the German Wings (Yeah, I know, tacky name...) to London Gatwick airport.

We arrived on time where I had to go and pickup my checked bag (not by choice but it weighted to much) which meant I had to leave the "Secure Area" of the airport. As thoughts of more lines and questions like "Did you pack it yourself? Have you been with your bag the entire time? and Do you floss regularly?" went through my head I realized that I had about a six or seven hour lay over in London due to the time change from Germany. Germany is one hour ahead of London. So I went to the American Airlines Check-In counter but before I could even get into line there was a man at a podium on wheels that said security. He stopped me and proceeded to ask me more questions about my bags, nationality, and if I could walk on my hands while juggling balls with my feet. After that I re-checked in my bag so that I would not have to carry it for so long and proceeded to the 14 lane, 2 mile long line that is a security checkpoint at Gatwick Airport. That took a few minutes and again I had to strip off my belt, jacket, etc while saying the alphabet backwards. I then found myself in what I can basically describe as a shopping mall, and not an Air Port that is the North Terminal. If you can think of a store, they had it. I looked at a few things out of boredom and desperation for about half an hour and then proceeded to look for a place to eat. After digging around for about an hour I came across a place that had a manageable line (Star-bucks was out to the tarmac...). I ordered a Cheeseburger and Fries along with a Coke. Keep in mind that it is about 9:30 in the morning now too but I had failed to realize that until after my cheeseburger had been devoured. While sitting their I pulled out my laptop and proceeded to see what was there for internet access to keep me entertained, informed, and awake. As almost always there was T-Mobile's internet service which you could pay for by the hour. After about 8 seconds of debating if I needed internet, I paid the 15 pounds (28 USD or so) and got online for a total of three hours downloading things like video from the iTunes store and catching up on my news. Time flew by as I sent off a few e-mails and surfed to my hearts content until 5...4...3...2...1... off... I had run out of time online. Sad for me but oh well.

I went to my gate and waited outside yet another, yes another, security checkpoint. (Each international gate at Gatwick has another security checkpoint.) There were no employees at my gate, it was roped off so I found a spot in a what seemed to relic of a chair next to three others that were presumably going to wait for the same flight as myself. You actually have to go down one level at Gatwick to get to these gates so there are no shops, no vending machines, nothing... After sitting there for a while some employee's showed up at the gate with rolling podiums in tow that boldly stated that they were with airport security. A few minutes passed and they began letting people into the separate waiting are designated only for our gate after we had answered their laundry list of questions once more. I boarded the 767 with out fail as part of the last group.

Now after reading this, you probably think that I'm bitter or something. I'm not. I'm just having a little fun writing about my adventure which I would gladly do all over again if given the option. The experience to travel for two weeks, see London with my Mom and my step dad Lee, see my father after over six years, visit family, and go to CeBit are priceless memories for me which I captured in about 800 pictures; no kidding. Some are better than others but it's better to have to many pictures than not enough in my mind. I've gotten to see things and do things that others have only dreamed of and may only ever dream of. I cannot thank those in my family enough that supported this trip both financially and just by being there for me. I miss my friends and family right now as I'm on this flight somewhere over the Atlantic. I love you all and I will see you all again soon.

Now if only my bag that I checked in arrives in the same airport that I do...

Love,
Chris
(a little more broke but much better off for it...)