Off to the USA to visit my sister

I found it very difficult to return to SA without Douglas and settling into a routine in SA even more difficult. After my shipment from the UK arrived and all was well I decided that it might be good to visit my sister before my USA visa expired and I got settled into a SA routine.

I had been checking flights as I waited for my shipment to arrive and knew what the prices were so you can imagine my joy when I eventually came to book my flight and buy my ticket only to discover that the price had dropped by R3000.00 since I last checked the night before. What a blessing. The same site provided means for the purchase of a travel insurance so it was all done and dusted at the same time.

I had about 3 weeks to get ready for my trip and managed that without a hassle. My new friends at Addington Methodist Church prayed for me and after the service I was told by all who spoke to me that they would be looking forward to seeing me again when I returned.

Evelyn and Sean took me to the Airport where I bumped into a friend from Mtubatuba who was shocked to hear that Douglas had passed away. I was taken aback that she did not know and have sent her an apology for breaking the news to her the way that I did. ("Give that special Douglas a big hug from me" she said after asking me if I had just arrived back in Durban to which I responded "Sorry he is dead.") I managed to check in my baggage through to Philadelphia so was happy to know I did not have to hassle with it in Johannesburg even though I would need to claim it at Atlanta in order to clear customs there.

My flight to Johannesburg was uneventful and after a long, long, walk to the International terminal I eventually joined the queue to board my flight to Atlanta. I was happy to stand in the long queue as I knew I would have 16 hours of sitting once I boarded the plane. Eventually my zone was called and then I was asked to produce my luggage stubs as SAA don't put the checked in baggage into the system. You guessed it, I could not find the stubs. They were kind and after much searching when I did find them, they had already found the numbers online so all was well.

I had an empty seat next to me so the 16 hour flight was not too bad as I was able to stretch out and the service was good so there was plenty of water to drink and food to eat. I had a book to read and my own TV screen so once I had found my coat and snuggled into the blanket provided I managed to have some shut eye after dinner had been served.

Atlanta was very organised and user friendly so passport checks and customs control went off without a hitch. Before I knew it they had grabbed my check in baggage for the next flight and I was on the little train to the domestic departure gate for my flight to Philadelphia. Once again I had an empty seat next to me and the 2 hour flight passed quickly. Another long walk to the baggage claim and there Terri was waiting for me.

It was lovely to catch up on the way to my sister's flat and once there I found a fridge full of food and a lovely comfortable room. My sister had even prepared a desk for me to work at so that I could be motivated to get back to blogging.

After a shower, a cup of tea and something to eat I unpacked and watched TV until I accidentally pushed the wrong button and killed the TV. I decided not to nap but did lie down to read until Viv returned from work.

We had a lovely time chatting and then Terri arrived with Jenni who had wanted to come to say "Hello". Eventually I decided it was time to sleep and even though my body clock was confused, I did manage a good night's rest.

Flying itself might be quicker than other means of transport but the time spent in the terminals is very long and exhausting. I much prefer train travel but that is not possible for overseas trips.