Homeword Bound

The trip to the airport was uneventful. We arrived early and were disappointed to find that Delta doesn’t have any outlets in their passenger waiting are, so we decided to save the movie for the plane. Once we boarded, we waited an hour and a half because of a computer problem the terminal was having that prevented them from distributing luggage correctly and from load balancing it. The wait was not fun, but I figured the rest of the trip should be smooth. I couldn’t have been more wrong.

We arrived in Atlanta, or over Atlanta I should say, when the Pilot came on the speaker and announced they were having problems controlling the wing flaps and that they had contacted maintenance on the ground. They were unable to solve the issue just yet, so he asked us to sit tight while they worked on it. Now, I am a bit afraid of flying anyway. It doesn’t keep me from flying, and I never worry about it, but I do pray every time I step on a plane. I always think of death when I step on a plane. The captains announcement had us all a bit worried, but I thought I was handling it well. After circling for an hour and a half, the captain informed us the co-pilot was coming back into the cabin to do a visual inspection of the flaps. Now I was really worried.

I kept remembering that plane that landed in LA with no landing gear, the one in Canada where they overshot the runway, the one that crashed into the Potomac. All the while we circled and circled and circled. Amber was getting nauseous (whether from the circling or her prawns the night before, she couldn’t decide) and I was wondering what was really going on. I checked how many miles we’d flown verses how far the in-flight magazine said we had for a fuel reserve and it was getting close, well, within a thousand miles. The pilot next came on and told us they thought things were ok, and the flap gauge was all that was broken. He told us we were going to land. We did and all was fine. I figured the rest of the trip should be smooth.

We were originally scheduled to have a 4 hour layover in Atlanta, but because of all the delays we had about an hour to get through customs, get some dinner, change concourses, and find our gate. We were fast and efficient and ready to board with some time to spare. Once we boarded the aircraft we taxied out to the runway and waited. After about 45 minutes we were told there was an electrical problem. After another 30 minutes they sent us all back to the terminal and said they were bringing a new plane. Craziness. We finally got to Omaha about 11 P.M., 2 hours late and 25 hours after our return trip began in Rome.

Leaving Europe is bitter sweet. When we return to Omaha it will only be for one night. Amber will be heading to spend a week with her family and I am off to Chicago to compete in the Grand National Teams portion of the National Bridge Tournament. I am excited to go back to the US, and to try to win a national event, but I am sad to leave Amber for a week. I am also coming to realize I will be leaving Omaha for Sioux Falls only 1 day after the National is over. When I returned to Omaha from BYU, I thought it would be my town forever more. Sure, I might do a short sojourn or vacation elsewhere but Omaha would be my city. Maybe she still will be. My family is here. Many friends are here. I have history here. The realization, however, is that I am Sioux Falls bound for at least three years. Exciting new opportunities perhaps, but today it makes this homecoming bittersweet.