Bros & Broads Abroad Board the Plane Part 2

"I'm heading home, I'm heading home, tell the world that I'm heading...home." --J. Cole's "I'm Coming Home"

Our battle-plan was set and the strategy was clear. Divide and conquer (kind of). We were to be dispatched in three waves upon the airport (Which is now pronounced with an angry French accent followed by a spitting ~t of disgust). I was to be en pointe as part of the pivotal first wave with a four-member crew in the middle followed by Syd's group, holding up the rear. "I can't hold up the rear," the trip's running joke explained, "It's too heavy."

We bid a fond adieu to the Hurlburts at that hell-hole also known as the Hyatt and took two exact same taxis to the airport, carrying the exact number of passengers, each bearing the exact number of  suitcases yet one was charged twenty-seven euros while the other taxi charged forty-two. Well, Monica was not having ANY of that, flashing her "French hands" all over the place but, as time was of the essence, she had to make do with making him pay emotionally. Our taxi unanimously voted me their group leader accompanied by a quote that I had validated and stamped by a notary. "Amy's the best we've got," they admitted with some resignation but still...

Melody made friends while we stood in the interminably long lines at the terminal and I tiredly eavesdropped as she described her San Franciscan adventures of living among the gang-bangers. I interrupted, "My-load-ie! Your life could be a TV movie! We could call it "My-load-ie & The Gangbangers!" Tired, I cracked myself up. "Never mind, My-load-ie. It sounds too much like a porn title."

There was a brief blunder getting our tickets where Michelle Reding threatened to throw a great big ol' American fit and another slight snafu when Morgan was pulled out of line and told she could board the aircraft as long as there was an extra seat (Group Leader Dee made a big deal about sacrificing her own seat, if necessary...show off) but eventually, our frontal assault of fourteen all successfully boarded. Or...at least I think they did (totally kidding, Kim Stoffer, if you're reading this...your baby girl is safe and sound).
Cierra and I played a strategic game of Seat Swap to get to one another. She was the clear winner as she seat swapped three times to my two. We looked glumly at the posted nine hour flight time and then kept encouraging one another by saying, "Look! Time is practically flying by...ahhhh-ha-ha-ha-ha!" Speaking of "time flying," Sydney besmirched the good name of "Mosiman" irrevocably on the European continent when she asked if "The Concorde" was the plane that was faster than time. The shuttle went silent.

Cierra and I just did a little seat dance because we're down to three hours before we land in Atlanta. She has a terrible habit of only watching 2/3s of all of her (questionably appropriate) in-flight movie selections. She also entertained me by singing Sponge Bob songs for the last hour of our flight which just made me wish that the ride could be even longer. Despite the little glitch at the end, this has been a wonderful trip. I thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet this extraordinarily positive and resilient band of travelers. I will always treasure sharing this trip with my amazing daughter. Thank you so much to Lauren and Sarah for your hard-work, patience, and good-humor in planning, implementing (and, in the end, salvaging) a trip that we will remember (in a good way) for the rest of our lives. Amy out.