home, sweet home

i am sure that it has been quite difficult to go these past two weeks without any blog updates from me, but the wait is now over! i am home!

today's journey was an interesting mix of pain and enjoyment. it started out rather benignly; getting up at 6am, getting ready, checking the apartment one last time, heaving on my backpack and setting out for the corner metro stop. but then things went quickly and horribly wrong. the street cleaners were hosing off the detritus from the previous night's debauchery, and two steps down into the metro my feet decided to slide out from under me. which meant that my backside hit the steps - hard - and the rest of me followed down the staircase. both humiliating and painful. ibuprofen has been a close and abundant friend all day, but from that moment on it has been one long carousel of pain.

which is too bad, because everything else about the journey was actually enjoyable and somewhat amazing. at the paris airport i was checked in, through security and at my gate within 10 minutes. i had the entire row to myself on that flight. there was heavy cloud cover for the entire flight, except for over ireland. i got to peer at it wistfully from above. i was scheduled to have a 7 hour layover in new york, but went on standby and got on the next flight leaving for LA, with only a 2 hour layover. even on standby, i got my preferred window seat and was even in the emergency exit row that has tons of legroom. and most importantly, my single-serving-friend on that flight was a pilot being transported home. i've always wanted to sit next to a pilot. i had so much fun talking with him and asking him questions. and last but not least, my bag made it back with me. i couldn't have requested a more perfect trip. except maybe for that pain in my ass.

but since i'm now going on hour 26 of being awake, the rest of my stories can wait.
time for sleep...