October 13th: Traveling Home

Statue at Schloss Hof in Vienna, Austria

It was really hard to sleep that night knowing that I would be getting up at 4 AM to head to the airport but also the fact of pre travel jitters.  I always get anxious for trips and especially flights.  I am not a huge fan of airplanes but I do enjoy airports and mostly just sitting there watching people go by from all different cultures and just their demeanor.  Airports can be interesting places with so much going on and how they are mini cities pretty much with their own personality sometimes.  It is always interesting making multiple flights and how only a few hours ago you were in such a different and diverse group of people.  It was nice in the morning having Tom and Louise on the shuttle to the airport in the morning and being able to say goodbye to them at the airport.  It was so great to meet all the other short term workers and some amazing people of God they are.  I really enjoyed getting to know this couple and the short time we got to spend together.  After our goodbyes I soon start the 22 hour journey back home which would leave me tired and jet lagged once I arrive.  The flight to Zurich was pretty quick and have never seen so much fog in once place flying in as Zurich.  The airport was very interesting and expensive, I could not live in Switzerland even though it is very pretty but nothing like the culture of Austria that I enjoy so much.  The flight to Chicago was very long and not one of the best overseas flights I have had.  I am beginning to feel worse and just ready to be home.  Once landing in Chicago the process of customs, security and airports begin and not off to the best start.  Everything was going smooth until the final security when I forgot about some duty free stuff that I was not allowed to bring on the plane.  It was a hassle to see if there was another way but in the end I had to just throw it away or pay 100 dollars to check my backpack.  Sometimes things are just not that much of a hassle and it was hard to keep my patience with airport people and made my entry back into the United States not one of the most pleasant.  It made me appreciate Europe and just realize some of our cultural differences with people and business in the States.  It seems like a lot of people are caught up in that fast passed environment and not taking the time to “just look up” and realize that there is much more to life and the beauty of what is around them.  The final flight I slept through most of it but we did experience some of the worst turbulence I have ever had and was a little scary but another one of those moments that you just pray to God and trust him to bring you through the storm safely and he will not fail you.  What a travel experience that took about 25 hours before I was finally back at my grandparents house safely and exhausted.  Back to the grind of things and pray that I do not loose focus of everything this trip taught me and the experiences it provided as I move on and go about daily life with others.

“Yours, O Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty, for all that is in the heavens and in the earth is yours.  Yours is the kingdom, O Lord, and you are exhalted as head above all.” - 1 Chronicles 29:11