Day Twenty One: Sunday, June 3
Today completely centered around travel. I woke up at 3:07 in the morning to pack up the last of my things and head out the door. We were picked up by a van, and crammed ourselves 3-deep in each row of the van. We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, so I grabbed my first and last leberkasesemmel for breakfast. We boarded the plane and went on our way to Paris. Our time in Paris was very limited. Likely due to sleep deprivation, I had not gotten a boarding pass for the flight from Paris to Atlanta, so I had to get one at the customer service desk. In front of me was a customer who was being rather obstinate, so it was a solid 35-40 minutes before I was able to come to the desk. Luckily, I was able to get a boarding pass before the flight departed, but the hassle was not over yet. I'm unsure why, but French airport security is quite strict. I had to answer specific questions about what I had done while in Europe, who had used my electronics, have my bags inspected, and so on. Finally, I was able to board the plane, where I spent almost all of my time either eating or watching a movie. Without movies on overseas flights, I might go insane, because I seem to have difficulty sleeping while in the air. When we finally landed in Atlanta, I was thrilled to be back in the U.S. No more inability to understand the language, ease of communication, and bathrooms that were all free. After making it through airport security/customs, several of us went to Buffalo Wild Wings, where I was finally reunited with southern-style fried chicken. Schnitzel is good, but southerners are superior when it comes to making chicken. Soon after we boarded the plane to Little Rock. This flight went by very quickly, and I was ecstatic to see my family and head back home.
The whole day, I had home on my mind, but I was also reminiscing on the experiences I had and things I saw while on the trip, and thinking of how I might be changed or live differently when I got back home. So far, I have been seeing the small details in ways that I hadn't before. I am seeing the beauty in things that I might have ignored before. I have been so appreciative for the things which I did not have while abroad, and will be more grateful for them. While I do miss Austria, it is great to be home.