First Leg

Wow.

First leg of the journey is done as I sit at the Amsterdam airport and reflect on the past 9 hours.

My goodness.

I arrived at Logan around 5:30 and thought I would be able to check in get a decent meal and sit and read while I waited for my flight to start boarding. So I stood staring at the Fuddruckers sign and debated over a big, fat burger or a healthy salad. For some crazy reason, I picked the healthy option! Got myself a salad and went to sit down...which was quite a task as I carried a backpack that I swear must weigh more than me, pulled my carryon, carried a book, my salad and soda. I’m still not sure how I even managed to grab a knife, fork and straw, but I soon found myself eyeing a spot at the closest table.

The only problem was that I didn’t seem to realize that another gal was sizing up that table too and when I finally realized it I was half sitting so I just said, “I’m sorry, are you with someone? Do you mind if I sit here?” She said, “No problem,” so I started opening my salad. But then her travel companion came to join her and we all sat in this awkward silence. Oh my word. It was so funny, I didn’t quite know what to do. I could tell that they felt awkward and were probably wondering what the heck I was doing, so before I burst out laughing at myself, I decided to pack up my dinner and just bring it to the gate and eat there. I’m sure they had a good laugh at my expense once I left. Oh dear.

So I somehow managed to get all my above stated items safely to my gate without spilling anything and sat down to start again on my dinner. Only then they start calling certain travelers up to the gate. My name gets called. I now have to pack up my dinner yet again and try not to spill my food or drink and I make my way over to the desk so they can verify my passport. ok. good, I’m done. I turn around to go find my seat in the corner a few seats away from all other because I am eating my salad with blue cheese dressing and I’m thinking that someone might not appreciate that smell, but of course when I turn around someone has taken my seat. Bumor. So now I wedge myself between two businessmen and just sip my soda resigned to just eating on the plane thinking “too bad if the people next to me don’t like the smell of my blue cheese dressing.” (Can you tell, I’m hungry, tired and maybe losing my sense of humor?)

I wait a bit longer and can’t stand it so I start eating and finish my meal before boarding. Good to go. I’m thinking to myself, “OK, glad that part is over. Now to just sit in the quiet and read my book. ahhhh”.

I should have known better.

I end up sitting next to someone almost as chatty as JP. Add to that, he insisted on guessing my age....and he guessed 5 years older than I am, kept making sexual references throughout the entire flight and even asked me for a kiss at one point. I mean... really? Who does that? He was European and I’d like to think that it was just a cultural thing...but after the third or fourth sexual comment I’m thinking he was serious and so I politely said, “I will not kiss you, not even on the cheek, I am a loyal wife and I love my husband very much.” Jeepers. You would have thought this guy would have got the hint that I was not amused, but he did not. I kept just trying to read and he just kept trying to flirt. My word. Am I that irresistible? Haha.

I really was trying hard to figure out why God placed me next to this man, was he searching? Looking for something more meaningful? Each attempt at conversation always led back to something sexual. So I gave up trying to wonder if there was some greater purpose in this and just began to see it as an opportunity to pray for patience. Hopefully the next leg of the journey will be a little less “interesting”!