Boy what a summer it has been! I cannot believe it is already August. Last weekend I had quite a time. Where do I start?? Oh yes, my tendency to overbook myself is something that I really need to work on. Here's a little context to last weekend: Michael is nearing the end of training and he only has 24 hours off (referred to as 'liberty') each weekend to run personal errands, use a cell phone, see loved ones, et cetera. This past weekend was particularly important because it was the last 'liberty' before graduation. So, there are all sorts of things he needed to do to prepare. Typically I pick him on Saturdays around 3 p.m. and have him back on base around 3 p.m. on Sunday.
This past Saturday was my bridal shower in Austin, Texas. I had been looking forward to it all summer. My mom and cousin worked on putting it together with the help of my bridesmaids. I knew it would be fun to see all my friends from so many different parts of my life all together in one room! I couldn't take off too many days from work with the school year rapidly approaching. So, I decided to fly out on Friday morning, the day BEFORE the shower. This will give me PLENTY of time, I thought. I had to make sure I was home for at least part of the weekend to run errands with Michael during his last liberty. So, I booked a flight leaving Austin, the very next day, Saturday at 5 p.m. (My shower was from 2 - 4pm - tight window, I know!) I was sure I could make it happen!
Well as time wore on, I began to think of all the things I could accomplish with my full day in Austin. I hadn't met with my wedding venue owner recently, so I went ahead and booked an appointment to do that first thing when I arrived to Austin! Great...now I'll have the entire afternoon/evening to hang out with my friends and family. Oh...but look, an invitation to speak on a panel from 2 - 4 p.m. I can probably squeeze that in too, right?! Sure! Okay, now I'll at least have a nice evening of dinner with my family.
Boy did Saturday FLY by! By the time my cousin finished running me ALL over Austin, literally, her gas tank was practically empty and so were our tummies! We were able to have dinner with the family that evening which was very nice. Then, I went to my cousin's and fell sound asleep. After a good 7 hrs, I was up again ready for my shower and to fly back. That morning I decided I should run errands. I stopped by the jeweler to order my wedding bands, I checked out my Austin apartment to ensure everything was in good working order, then, I checked my watch and realized I was going to be LATE for my own shower. I hurried to the clubhouse and made it within minutes of 2p.m. The party came and went SO fast. It was very very fun. The lingerie gifts were adorable and my cousin did an amazing job of setting up the room so beautifully. The food was delicious and all my good friends came. It was great. When the clock struck 350p, the madness BEGAN...
I asked one of my guests to rush me to the airport. She very eagerly took me along. Traffic wasn't bad. I made it there in 15 minutes. WOW! Security line was short. GREAT! Rushed through to my gate sure that I would find the attendants closing the doors... and guess what. Nothing. No one was at my gate. I sunk into panic. Oh NO...I've missed my flight. I won't be able to get home. Oh Geez! I spotted a United Airlines rep and frantically ran over. She patiently informed me that I had read my boarding pass wrong. My flight didn't depart for another 45 minutes. I was in fact, TOO early.
I boarded the plane eventually and arrived in Chicago for what should have been a 40 minute lay over. 40 minutes turned into hours and hours. By the time I left Chicago it was 11:15p.m. CST. Michael was pushing himself to wait up for me to pick him up once I landed back home (which was now several several hours later than expected.) Eventually I arrive home to the BWI airport (more commonly known for its cheaper airfare compared to Dulles and Reagan). Oh but there is a catch! BWI is cheaper because it is 45 minutes away from where I live. Oh...and where I live is 20 minutes from where Michael is. In total, I'm looking at over an hour commute to pick up Michael. I eventually made it to my car parked in the garage at the airport at 2 a.m. I exited the garage and entered the open highway. It was such a cool breezy night. No traffic for miles! Great...I'll be there at 3 a.m.
Then, the thunderclouds above released the worse rain I've seen in years. Out of nowhere I was in the middle of what seemed like a hurricane. The rain fell so hard and piled on top of the highway. I eventually couldn't drive and like so many of the other cars, pulled over on the side of the road until the rain slacked a bit. At a steady 20 mph pace afterwards, I finally made it to Michael at 410 a.m. I was so overwhelmed with the day that I just fell into his arms crying. Then, it hit me... my husband-to-be will be an Officer in 7 days. He made it through training!! I'm so proud of him. I cried even harder. We were standing outside the car, on the very wet street, in the pouring rain. I was so tired...but so happy!! Michael drove us home, another 20 miles away. On the way, I had to make a pit stop...nothing was open...so I'll let you put that part together. Eventually we found ourselves parking outside home around 5 a.m. As the sun rose, we laid down and fell asleep.
What a shower!
