A Few Days in Brief

(I lie, it's not that brief)

I was in fact correct in assuming it would be a rush job. I started packing just after 3am sunday morning. Up until that point I was distracted and lazy. I went to bed just before 5 and got all of two hours of golden sleep before getting up again to get ready to leave. I did leave and we drove all the way to the airport before I realised I'd forgotten my passport.

Only joking. I got through security without any real hitches. I did of course set off the metal detectors and get felt up by the security guard. She was very thorough. That put me in just the right mindset for airport flirting. I have this habit of ditching my actual travel company and making new friends.

I scanned the people in Starbucks and then the waiting area. I walked towards a tall, tan guy with dark hair. I sit down next to him. I ask if he's on his way home or going on holiday. He looks at me blankly. I repeat. He looks at me intently and then says "sorry, no English." I smile at him and get up.

I guess that is the risk of airport flirting. I have another go. I spot a girl sitting alone, reading with henna red hair in a messy mohawk and glasses. I sit down and ask her. She tells me in a thick Italian accent that she's going home after a few days in London with a friend. Don't give me too much credit, I didn't find out that it was an Italian accent until she told me she was from Italy. Her flight would be leaving 10 minutes after mine, so we both had a few hours to kill. We chatted for two hours. I also sorted some currency and we both got a drink. We're keeping in touch by facebook. Apparantly that's the only way to do anything. I bloody hate facebook, cannot work it at all.

She was so stunning and she's already decided that I must come and visit and we'll go to Milan. Apparantly I'll love it there. We hugged goodbye and I made my way over towards the tram that takes me to my gate. As I was waiting, I spotted a young, blond guy who was fiddling with some headphones. I uttered the eternal airport chat-up line:
"coming or going?"
"just going back home." His words ran thick with something I knew. Instinctively I switched to Danish. I was right. We chattered away in Danish and there were some flirtation going on. It was more instinctive than I'm-trying-to-get-you-into-the-cabin-toilet, but it was there. We were on the same flight and for the very small amount of time on the plane where I was awake, we chatted.

The flight did coincide very well with napping, so we weren't even off the ground before I was asleep. I was awake for the safety briefing. There was a very camp guy doing it right next to me and when he pointed to the emergency exits, he flicked his wrists in such a camp way I actually laughed out loud. He didn't look best pleased.

I got off the plane and went straight to arrivals because I pack light and had everything I needed in my handluggage. I went out expecting to see my Gran. She wasn't there. I got family to call her home and she definately wasn't in.

I wandered around for a half hour, looked for her, sorted some ticket stuff, looked some more, went to the toilet, looked some more, wandered around, looked some more, texted some people now my phone was back on, looked a little more. Then, I saw her. Sitting and looking straight through me. Now blonde mohawk and bright red coat, that's pretty impressive if I'm honest. Turns out she'd had a very similar routine to mine of looking and toilet, and looking and coffee and looking and reading. We'd continually missed each other for 30 minutes.

Also according to EasyJet the flight was an hour delayed. I should point out, they delayed the flight after I'd landed and got off the plane. So we go to find the car and get home. That alone takes another 25 minutes because my lovely Gran had not realised that she'd parked on level -1 and not level 1.

When we get in, I am told I'll be sleeping on the sofa. She has a guest bedroom. I look at her quizically.

"The cats have the guest bedroom now."

I am her only grandchild. Still, the cats are gorgeous. I'm having a grand time here and today I did in fact spend no less than £20 on sweets. I take any past judgement about gummi-crocodiles back. Finally, my mum has done something because my Gran is insistent that I watch German tv all the time. I don't particularly mind watching good German tv, but this morning I watched a woman talking about the different kinds of stitching you need to make a dress...