I have arrived...

So, you want the story? :-)

Keep in mind, I started with one hour of sleep under my belt.

I got to the Portland airport and after 1/2 hour in line I got up to the ticket counter. Guy-yes that is his name. Guy was the agent helping me. So, Guy helped me pay the money for 1 over weight bag. And then Guy informed me that in order to fly into Switzerland, I have to have a visa or a return ticket...of which I had neither.

After about 20 minutes of discussion over this point, Guy called the Swiss embassy and they told him I was fine to go as I was... no visa needed. Praise the Lord!!!

Then, because I had a one-way ticket, I was flagged for all the extra security screening you could possibly imagine. Do you find that when you have packed a bag the most carefully that then they have to take it all apart for screening? I do. :-) But the great thing... the screener doing the wanding on me, asked me why I was moving to Germany. When I told her, she got a big smile on her face and began to remind me that God is watching me, that He knows what I need-so it doesn't matter if I think I have forgotten something important, and that the Holy Spirit is reminding people to pray for me.

Wow... that was amazing. A huge blessing! God is good.

Then, I sat next to the granddaughter of the man who started Boyd's coffee. That was fun.

Then in Atlanta I made it to my flight just in time time to hear my section being called for boarding. Whew.... I sat next to a guy on that flight who was going to India for 3 months. He is a medical software programmer.

Okay, so I get to Paris... I am in the second to last row on the plane and I have 1/2 hour from landing to boarding my next flight... yeah... I missed the flight.

So, I am put on the next flight out, 3 hours later. no problem... and the airline gave me a voucher for a meal. I had a french bagette with mozarella and tomato and some tea. Lovely.

But, guess what? October 4th... was a nation worker strike day for the air traffic controllers. So my 1p.m. flight was pushed back to 3p.m. ... and then at 1:30 p.m. they boarded us and we left at 2p.m. I slept most of that 1 hour flight.

I arrived in Basel, Switzerland.... no baggage. Poor air france staff... they had a lot of irate people to deal with. The guy taking my info, said that he had 200 people without luggage that day. So I was really nice to him and he gave me the nicest overnight bag I have ever seen. Someone later told me it is the kind they give to first class travelers. He told me he was giving it to me because I was so nice. hmmm... a kind answer turns away wrath.

So, that is the story. I got to the Holladays. I love them! and I got a shower, ate some amazing soup and was in bed by 5:30p.m. I slept until 6a.m. :-)