End of Summer Adventure #1

My last teaching day for this Global Volunteers trip was Friday, May 27. We went again to the Special Needs School. In the first hour I basically taught the whole class with translation help from a wonderful young woman studying to be an English teacher for special needs students. At the end of the class she told translated a statement from one of the students: "It's a pity you are leaving." That is the type of pay that volunteers receive that keeps one going!

After we returned to Reymontowka we spent time packing, returning teaching supplies to the work room, and cleaning the work room.

At 6:30 we gathered in the skansen (museum) for an evening meal with teachers and staff from the three schools at which we had taught.

There was much happy conversation and exchange of e-mail addresses. The teachers were aware that we had to depart the next morning at 6:30 AM so they said their good-byes by 8:30.

We went rather quickly to our rooms for sleep.

The area was nice and quiet.

Don't know if I slept as well as this angel (one of the many wood carvings around Reymontowka) but I was able to get up at 5:15 this next morning and put the final things into the suitcase. We were done with breakfast and in the van on the way to Warsaw by 6:15.

We got into the major city area of Warsaw about 7:30 and could immediately see police stationed to block exits from the highway into the business district of the city. This was all due to the G8 Summit taking place there that included many heads of state, including President Obama. We had no trouble getting into the airport. Our team leader quickly went into the airport with us to make sure we knew how to check in for our flights and then left to take the third team member to his hotel where he was staying one more night.

On the way to my plane I saw Air Force One parked on the tarmac. Below is the best picture I could get from the plane where I had an aisle seat-- not the best choice for a photo:

The trip across the Atlantic was uneventful. I didn't get much sleep though, maybe 45 minutes only. I had just fallen to sleep when someone tried to get something from an overhead compartment and a packaged blanket fell down into my face. That was the end of sleeping.

At O'Hare we must have have gotten the gate absolutely the furthermost from passport control. The path was down three sloping ramps at least one hundred feet long each, then down two long, long hallways, each so long it was hard to see to the other end when starting, then a couple more winding short hallways, and finally passport control. That went rather quickly. Then to getting my bag and moving it on for the domestic flight. I had less than 90 minutes between landing from Europe to departure for Minnesota, so I was very glad when someone at the bag check said, "Terminal 1" without my having to inquire or search for more information about where my next flight was. I went to the train, got to Terminal One, found the gate and had about 2 minutes to catch my breath before boarding the next flight.

Found my luggage didn't make it though. I recognized others whose bags were also missing from being passport control with me in Chicago. People may be able to move in a short time from the International Terminal to the domestic terminals, but apparently the baggage can't.

Got a taxi home. Summary, I got up at 5 AM Saturday morning Europe time and got home at 1 AM Sunday morning Europe time. It was a long day,

My bag got delivered the next day. At first I thought it had been left in the rain somewhere as it was a bit wet on one side. However, after opening the bag, I discovered that a bottle of vodka given me as a gift didn't make it. Everything was nicely soaked in Chopin Vodka. I'm so glad, now, I didn't try to bring home a jar of pickled mushrooms that were given me as a gift!

So now dealing with a bit of jet lag before departing again for Europe in mid -June. I'll probably never again do this much traveling in an 18 month period.