Home sweet home.

I made it! 30 hours of flying is not so bad!

After picking up my cousins at school on Wednesday, I was dropped off at the airport in Singapore. I was sad to say goodbye and to begin the end of my fabulous journey. The Singapore airport was completely empty and just as organized as I had expected. I was heading to my gate and realized while shopping and playing at the apple store that I hadn't yet gone through security. It was so strange-the security is located right at the gate and you can't go through until just before your flight. I was hoping to not forget to go to my gate and also to find a last minute wonderful souvenier for my dad (sorry Jose!). I was not successful on my shopping missions, being that I wasn't about to buy my dad an apple computer and didn't think he would appreciate a pretty necklace. My first flight was pretty uneventful-watched 2 movies (1 bollywood, 1 hollywood) and I arrived in Mumbai without any difficulties. I had a 5 hour layover and as I was sitting in the waiting area, my cousin Andrew (whose house i just left) walked by! It was so funny to be back in India and run into a family member! I knew he had been in Mumbai but we hadn't even discussed the possibility of running into each other! It was good to see him again even though it was just a quick visit. He then headed to the plane I had just arrived on to head back to Singapore.

I wanted to leave the airport but it was late at night and there was nowhere that i could go so it wasn't worth trying to get through customs and all that. I kept thinking that I wanted to see India one more time before I left, but looking back I feel like i got that just by being in the airport! I knew I was back in India when a young guy started talking to me and his opening line was "how far is it between New York and California?" He was about to fly to Florida to begin pilot training and decided to share all of his knowledge of the US with me. This only included that he heard basketball is a big sport there and Magic Johnson was a good player except now he is sick with cancer. I don't know where he gets his information from. He also told me that his parents told him not to talk to strangers (apparently i am not that strange). I wished him luck and then headed to my gate. Getting through security was also a reminder of being in India...i forgot (after being in orderly Singapore) what it's like to not value standing in a line! My next flight was again ok except for that my neighbor insisted on putting her giant purse on the arm rest and it kept falling on me while i was trying to sleep. I watched some more movies and it was again fine.

I thn arrived in Brussels for a 2 hour layover. I again tried to buy my dad a gift (again unsuccessful) and had wished that I had some Euro to get some water as I had felt I was neglected with beverages on my previous 2 flights. When i got on my last flight, my whole row was empty and i was so excited to lie down and sleep it away. The rest of the flight was full so i htought i was the luckiest girl ever. The very last people to get on the plane were to be my neighbors. bummer. I got a little bit of sleep and watched some more movies--i love video on demand! I even played some 'who wants to be a millionaire' but was dissapointed when i had to phone a friend on a $100 question! duh!

I finally arrived in beautiful newark and quickly got through immigration(i was one of the only American citizens on my flight) and then the bags took forever. I was really hoping it made it through all of my stops and luckily it did! I got through customs wihtout an issue (although shhh...i did have some food in my bag) and found my dad. we then went to Ringwood pizza where i had the best pizza ever! yummy! I unpacked, threw in some laundry, decided on which dress to wear for my cousin's wedding this weekend and just hung out. My mom came home from work and was happy to see me (even though she would have been much more excited to see Derek Jeter to have arrived at my house) and we all headed to the Ringwood diner. I had an eggplant parm pita but unfortunately it tasted a bit like throw up. yuck. Later on Jackie came over and we chatted until I HAD to go to sleep. I made it until 10 o' clock and stayed in bed until 5:43am! not bad for a first night! I am now still the only one awake so i decided to enter my final blog. In a few hours I will be off to Maryland which should feel like the quikest trip ever! (oh yeah and as we are speaking i am shoving my face with baby carrots! yum!)

I will probably continue to update my blog with US stories over the next few weeks and the rejoining of the real world, but now that I am not on an actual world journey, I will no longer send out updates...check it out as you like, but i can't imagine it will be the same as it was before. My trip has ended and one day (during the next few weeks) I will become a real person, working at a real job, living in a real apartment and doing real people things. I think my real life is brilliant....but probably not as interesting for the rest of you!! (unless you enjoy stories of waking up later than i should, eating cereal in my car on my way to work, treating patients, having lunch, having dinner, running, shopping, dancing, hosting guests at the b&b, doing yoga, seeing friends, eating cheese, playing tennis, buying hair products, going out, drinking wine, singing out of tune...repeat)

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