As I sit here, painfully typing this out on a non-Dvorak keyboard, it's 10am on a Saturday morning, and I'm the only one awake. Why oh why am I unable to sleep in anymore? And why is sitting down at the computer the first thing I want to do when I get up...?
So I thought I'd give a rundown of our trip so far (4/26), but as usual I type too much. Guess I'll break it up some.
We left Raleigh on Apr 14 for NYC. Dawn drove us to the airport in our Prius, and we tearfully/apprehensively (nothing personal) watched as she drove it away, solo. It was the first time someone else drove our car, and we felt like parents watching their children going off to college -- like you know they're going to be responsible, but you're also pretty sure you'll find videos of them on YouTube peeing themselves while passed out.
We flew up in probably the tiniest plane ever -- so small, in fact, that we couldn't park it in one of those loading docks. Instead, we had to walk down out of the gate to the blacktop through the naked underbelly of the terminal (I felt like a TSA employee with restricted access). We then boarded the plane rockstar-style up one of those tiny folding ladders you always see celebrities or the pope using for their private jets. I think it was even more appropriate, since I'm pretty sure Kanye West was travelling incognito a seat ahead of us (I swear the guy looked just like him).
We got to NY no problem (other than sitting next to the bathrooms...ew) and took a SuperShuttle for like ever to Limor's aunt Heidi's house. Since she was still at work, we let ourselves in and read a food-critic travelogue magazine until she returned (mmm mouthwatering France and Italy issue...so excited to go there soon). We then ate some good ginger chicken amidst a "spirited" discussion about the appropriateness of religious observances (former orthodox vs. leaning agnostic, or rather that I just don't like people telling me what to do).
Next day, woke up at 3:30a to catch our 4:15a shuttle to arrive at the airport at 5:45a, in order to sit around until our 8:30a flight. Stupid 3-hour recommendation...
Our flight to TLV through Heathrow on British Airlines was about as fantastic as two 6+ hour flights can be. BA has the best entertainment system I've heard of on a plane (on demand, current movies, etc) so we had plenty to keep us occupied. We watched "The Great Debaters" and I teared up at the ending speech (damn soy milk). We actually managed to arrive early on both flights, and we breezed through checkins, security, and customs, considering we were smuggling three major electronics with us as presents (iphone, ipod nano, and a computer). Well, almost a breeze -- we did get pulled out of the line entering Heathrow. Was it because my wife has a Middle East passport, you ask? Nope -- it was because I had my titanium spork in our carry-on. The conversation went something like this:
Security: Sir, you have something sharp in your bag. *fumbles with my overly paranoid bag fastenings*
Me: Here, let me open it. *heart pounding as I conjure up images of medieval dungeons*
Security: Ah, this is it. *Pause* What is this? *Pulls out spork*
Me: Oh. It's my spork.
Agent: But it's pointy.
Me: But it's a spork.
Agent: Well, I mean, it could be dangerous.
Me: Spork. S-P-O-R-K.
Agent: Well...
Me: I will give you a dollar if you can tell me one thing I could hijack with it.
The story ended happily -- I got to keep my spork, and he got to go home with the smug sense of English superiority.
When we got to Israel, it was so damn early that I didn't even get the usual quiz at the passport checkin. We were met by Limor's parents Itzik and Aviva, and the whole drive back to their house felt like we were returning after only a few days away.
