I have been putting off writing this since I got home almost 2 days ago.
Saturday, my friend Sasha and I wandered around Vigo, did some shopping, had a nice drink, watched the sunset while eating dinner along the port, and enjoyed the last couple hours before sleep and her departure. The next morning was bittersweet, knowing we would both be home soon but aware that we were at the end of the journey.
Sunday morning, I spent time relaxing and preparing myself for a long journey and 2 days worth of traveling and airports. Not really hungry, I went to see what I could get for a late breakfast and found the frozen yogurt place at the mall just opening, and the guy working there realized that I spoke English and tried to help me. I spent a little time walking around the port before heading back to the hotel to grab my bags and head to the airport, thinking I would check in when I got there and see what I could do for the 6 hours until my flight without having to worry about all my stuff. Little did I know that the airport shuts down for siesta time, leaving me with nothing to do except hang out at the airport so I could keep track of my stuff. And there is nothing in Vigo airport, literally nothing but a little store and a cafe. It is so small. Six hours of sitting and reading or going through puzzle books or reading or people watching, I finally checked in my bag and got on the dinky little plane that took me to Paris airport. What a difference in size. I almost got lost in Paris airport because their lack of signs and direction-indicating displays was tremendous, and communication was a slight issue since I don't speak French. I finally found my way to where I was to meet my shuttle to my hotel for the night and waited.
The hotel was one of the nicest hotels I have stayed at in my life. The Hilton was conveniently located between Terminals 1 and 2 of the airport (1 being the more private airport and 2 being for the big commercial flights) and the shuttle took me there, and I got checked in, let my family know I had made it, figured out where I needed to go in the morning, and fell asleep in my giant bed to recover from a travel/dehydration-induced migraine.
I woke up the next morning and got ready to go, checking out a little before the first shuttle to the airport so I could ensure I had enough time in case I got lost. My first flight of the day was pretty nice. I watched movies almost the entire time, except for the 45ish minutes that I slept, and the 9+ hour flight went by rather quickly (or as quickly as a 9 hour flight can). After arriving in Atlanta, I braved the line at customs, which wasn't as daunting as I had heard it could be. The customs officer was even joking with me, which was refreshing and a nice change from the stoic border patrol officers in Paris that I had encountered both directions. Once making it through customs and rechecking my bag, I got my next boarding pass and prepared for another nice 8 hours in the airport. At least most the people spoke English, and there were more people for people watching, and I had good internet access and regular cell service. I somehow survived the long wait (I am pretty sure I walked the terminal enough times that people were looking at me funny for not walking to a gate) and got on my plane home. That was probably the most uncomfortable flight I had been on my entire trip, but it was also the smoothest landing. At least I slept a couple hours for my 4+ hour flight, and once I got into Sacramento, I was familiar with the airport so I didn't have to worry about getting lost.
Nunca camines solo.
This phrase is widely used by travelers on El Camino de Santiago, meaning "You never walk alone," and I think it is a good way to sum up this trip. I met so many smart, caring, amazing people, made so many new friends, and stepped way out of my comfort zone, and I will never regret that decision. It filled me with so much joy to be around people who had such similar interests and build such a strong bond in a short four weeks. I just hope that, one day, we will be able to connect again. Not saying that my friends at home are bad or that I don't have anything in common with them, but there is just a different bond I share with the group of individuals from this trip. I was always aware that there were people around me that were on the same journey I am and we were all going through each day together, whether being in the hospital or out on excursions. Galicia will always hold a special place in my heart. I have more motivation to pursue my dreams than ever before, and I now have a new dream to learn more Spanish and travel back some day.
I am so excited to see what the future holds, but I am so happy to be home.
Well, this is it on my trip. It has been quite a journey.
I hope to continue blogging throughout the year as I finish up my last year of my Bachelor's, so don't stop looking here.
TTFN, Kallie
Happy you are home! Love, Mom & Dad
ReplyDelete