Arrived SAFE and SOUND

classic travel things are so funny even when they happen to me--I am glad I can laugh at myself. this was truly a great day!

Funny highlights:

they "lost" my luggage (I packed a spare set of clothes in my carry-on for the first time in my life). so I didn't have to carry the bag home from the airport and they will have to drive it to wherever I am when they find it.

I had barely enough time to make each flight, but I did make each one in time! dad should been proud!

I had to check my lunch bag when I got to heathrow (after flying through SFO and JFK) because they discovered (the third time through security) that I (completely unintentionally and unaware) had a tiny camping fork in the bottom of my lunch bag, which I of course refused to relinquish (cheapskate that I am and not wanting to waste such a nice fork).

so I checked my whole lunch bag... and when it came back to me from the luggage dispenser, my yogurt had exploded inside the cooler and the raspberries/blackberries did also. all over my tamale! and all over my chocolate bar. luckily I was able to keep it closed until the hostel kitchen in all its glory solved the situation (yes, i did rinse off the chocolate bar and keep it too). but not the tamale.

(of course, the airline didn't lose the dinky lunch cooler, but they did lose my big purple bag...)

when I arrived at the hostel, someone else's stuff was on my bed... but it is the coolest awesomest place! they have a great lounge/bar/hang oiut area in the entry, and several cool chill-out rooms by the kitchen. I am going to see if I can stay here another night... but the next hostel I'm staying at is run by the same people (and it is on the beach outside the city of Amsterdam)... I love everything so much it is hard to decide what to do..............


p.s. people in london talk funny-even in the airport. I love it. on my flight from london to amsterdam (60 minutes on the tarmac and 45 minutes in the air) I was surrounded by a British rugby team. I nearly peed myself trying not to laugh while they talked. I suppose that isn't very "culturally competent"of me...