Losing it and Interrogations and Waiting

I started the day like any other, waking up in what I will call my home in just three short months. Of course my cats know something is up because they made themselves scarce throughout the night. I guess they think that we are going on another trip in the car. How wrong they are, or at least they aren't going anywhere for the time being. So I woke up knowing that in a short 48 hours I would be halfway across the world waking up across the world, but first I had to get there.

I never imagined what this was going to entail, or how out of my element this was going to make me. Mom I am glad that I only have one sister, and Jenny no offense, but I am glad that you are ten years older than me. But I will get to that in a bit.

My wait in Dallas was uneventful. I did meet a wonderful couple who was from Oklahoma who were on my flight from Dallas to London. They used to Live in Oklahoma, but know live in Colorado Springs. We talked about Just War Theory and Peace and Justice and how those that were for Peace and those who fought in Wars wanted the same thing. I guess I never looked at it from that point of view. He gave me some ideas of some places to look when I started to work on my PhD. We exchanged email addresses and promised to stay in touch.

Once I arrived in London I had it all planned out. There were three things I wanted to see and had it all mapped out. I should have known. The best laid plains of mice and men right? It all went great until I went the wrong way out of Paddignton Station. Tene how did you not get lost when you back packed through Europe? I wondered around London for about 2 hours and finally FOUND Baker St. Yeah it was so not worth the money to see the Sherlock Museum. But I did get a deerstalker hat and I can say I have been there. Then I finally found the hop on hop off bus and rode it to Westminster Abby but by the time I got there it was closed. So bummer. Big bummer. So instead I hopped on the tube (after I figured out how to get a ticket) and headed off to The Globe Theatre. While the weren't giving tours I did visit the gift shop and purchased a few items to add to my collection. As I walked out of the gift shop I decided that I couldn't leave London without riding in a famous black taxi. So I hailed a taxi to take me back to Paddington Station. As we weaved and he guided the taxi through the rush hour taxi he told me things about London that only the cabbies knew. He dropped me off at the station and I took the Express back to the airport.

As I found my way to the EL AL line, I thought I was all set. I had checked my luggage all the way to Israel so I figured I could grab me a bite to eat and then wait for my flight. OH BOY WAS I EVER WRONG. Apparently my cute smile and my amazing dimple were not going to do it this time. The lady that began asking me questions didn't buy that I was going on a pilgrimage to Israel. She also questioned my passport. Okay so I know that I weigh 30 pounds less than my picture but really I don't look all that different. She then wanted to see another ID. Thank God I had my driver's license, but come on really do you need 10 minutes to compare the two. Then when she asked me who I was meeting I told her I was meeting some friends that were American that had started the pilgrimage early, big mistake. Why wasn't I with them now? Why did I go late. What was my job in the states? I guess my answers weren't good enough because then She took my passport to another person who came and interrogated me and asked me the same questions. Then a third person came and asked me the same questions. I was like holy hell really are you kidding. Then the first person came and told me that I was cleared, BUT that at 9:30 they were going to go through my bags.

On I went to security. Here I was more worried about taking off my shoes than the electronics in my bag. So I forgot to take my computer out of my bag, which got my whole bag searched again. By the way, in case you are wondering you don't have to take off your shoes in London when you are going through security. After this security check I finally made it to my gate where yup once again they looked at my ticket and they took everything out of my bag. They even weighed all of my liquids. Ok I realize they are trying to keep people safe, but really!(Said in a Kathy voice)They even broke my sunglasses. Not that they were expensive but come on. Finally after having my bags gone through and 2-3 hours of being questioned I was finally allowed to board.

All I wanted to do was sleep, and sleep I did. Thankfully, I pretty much missed the meal that was served, because it was crap. Daryl I have no idea if the whole flight prayed the entire time because all I did the entire time was sleep. I think I was the only Gentile on the flight and maybe the only one on the flight that didn't speak Hebrew.

I landed way early in the morning and surprisingly had a way to easy time getting through passport control. I gathered my luggage and then found what they call a sherrut and waited like 2 hours before I was on my way to Jerusalem. I slept all the way. The nice driver (I say that sarcastically) Dumped me at the bus station with all my luggage in tow as I found a taxi willing to take me Hebron.

Stay tuned for part two....my arrival in Hebron