The travels actually began yesterday, 28th January, when myself and Chief in Charge of the Northern Office (CiCoNO) made our independent ways to London. Hounslow to be specific. Why Hounslow you may ask? Well, short answer, because the Travelodge do twin rooms for £30 and it’s darned close to Heathrow. We are heading off on an exciting journey, don’t you know!
Before the airport travels could begin though, we had to meet up with our London Office Manager for a bite to eat – in Blue Steakhouse – to prepare ourselves for the American style of dining. Boarding passes in hand (why, oh why, do you have to print them, when you are already en route to the airport?) …. we successfully navigated our way back to rest for the night (suffice to say, the navigation on the way to our evening appointment was less successful!).
Having selected a flight time which did not require an early rise or a dalliance with the underground in rush hour, you would not believe the record we set today – 1 hour from hotel, through luggage check-in and security (despite a near body/cavity search for CiCoNO), down the staircase in ‘airside’ to being sat at our breakfast table. Oh, I nearly forgot…. Yesterday, me and CiCoNO discovered an amazing connection! Her cousin was my Fast Track teaching mentor back in the day…. in Reading about ten years ago. It is certainly a small world!
Well actually, it isn’t. It has taken over eight hours to get from London to Chicago, where we are now. Guess what? This is not our final destination. Oh no! We have a five-hour layover in Chicago (and have just circumnavigated the north face of the moon from one terminal to another) and then we have another flight to get to Salt Lake City. Slight technical issues along the way – someone’s suitcase has been battered en route and looks like it’s been ten rounds with Tyson Fury. Not insignificant amounts of American Airlines duct tape later, I am hoping it will make it in one piece to SLC – oops, gave away whose case is intact there, eh!
It will all be worth it when we get to Salt Lake City, that’s for sure but have you any idea how infuriating it has been to be without email, internet and everything else electronic and ‘normal’ (whatever that is) for SOOOOOO LOOOONNNNGGGG!!!
My draft email folder is full to overflowing so once this blog is posted, watch out world…. here it comes!
