A Red-Eye ...

So the day actually cam when my flight to the states departed - so my journy beginns. I took an airport-taxi from vienna city to vienna Schwechat (the airport) where my flight to London-Heathrow left. There were actually 2 connection flights ahead of me. So, Ieneterd the flight and since there were no internet access at the airport or the plane and since I was travelling without any technical equipment but a digital camera and my phone, I couldn't blog from there. This is why I invented time-delayed-blogging which means I wrote the blog manually with a pen on paper and I'm going to post it in here. The advantage is, it's not a summary of the situation which I remember it, but it's right from the spot with all the emotions and impressions I had at that very moment. I call this section RFOL (right from on location). They are specially marked so that you can identify them easily. I also provide the place and the time on location. So here comes the first RFOL-Entry:

1:00 pm (+1 CEST) / Vienna
Finally ... the plane took of. We had a one-hour delay because of luggage problems. We had to sit in the plane, not knowing exactly what was going on. that was not the biggest problem we had to face. I really don't want to exeggarate here, but it was way mor hell than any terrorists hijacking the plane, well it's a BABY on board. Dear god, I now officially commit: "I do hate babies from now on and shall never have one of my one" - that's my contribution to a quite and relaxing future. I mean it's unbelievable. They are as small as a football, can't even concentrate on one thing for more than 10 seconds but cry like there is no tomorrow and that for an insanely long time. After 45 minutes, I kind of passed out or dose off, or whatever. Seems to be an evolutionary technique to pass out before crossing the line to insanity. However, we are currently 37.000 feet above the earth, the embodiement of Satan, young Damien, asleep or whatever an I just got a a cheese sandwhich with orange juice - life seems to turn around to the bright side. I really need to use the chance and are going to focus solely on my cheese sandwiche now.

So, that were the first impressions from the plane. The flight turned out to be quite okay the baby slept for the rest of the flight. I read some magazines and chilled and we arrived London Heathrow, where the real and pure horror was waiting for me. But more in the RFOL-Entry I wrote right after surviving it:

4:45 pm (0 CEST) / London
I'm pissed and I'm fucking angry! This can not happen. I don't understand it, I'm not quite a fan of bad expressions but if there is nothing other than that to express it precisely so please allow me to use one: FUCKING ASSHOLES!
Okay, here is the story. Since we had an one-houre delay in Vienna, we arrived one hour late in London, but I still had two hours an 45 minutes to get from terminal 4 to terminal 3. The lady in Vienna explained it quite nice to me:"It's just a short bus ride, another security check and that's it." Well, the bus ride was indeed short but the security check turned out as 700 people (no jocking, it was for real 700 people) in front of me and one-fucking dedector you walk through. Can you imagine that? One-fucking dedector for 700 people?
Someone told me once, staying calm and positive thinking brings you further than any stress - well, it doesn't bring you past 700 people to one dedector. I guess that's lesson number one on my journy to adulthood. I talked several times to the herd-observers, as I called them, that I really need to catch the flight but they assured me that it's going to be okay. As there were only 30 minutes left, I asked them one more time and then, finally they brought me to the front. 30 minutes before my flight departed!!! Then, it took me another 25 minutes to fight for getting through this fucking dedector so that I had only 10 minutes left to get to the gate. I ran as fast as i could and of course the gate closed already. I knocked like crazy against the door because I really needed to get to Chicago on time, since I have abnother connection flight from there to Detroit. Thank god, a flight assistent opened the door and checked for me to get a seat on the plane, since they gave away my original seat already.
Finally, I entered the plane all sweaty and gasping for oxygen 5 mintes before take-off. This is simply not exceptable. I'm going to complain about this for sure and I do want at least an excuse. Assholes! However, while I was searching my seat 36A, there was a man starring at me, saying:"I know exactly how you feel". At least I'm not alone on that. Anyhow, I'm waiting for my meal now, watching a movie on my little private screen in front of me and afterwards, I'm going to sleep to get at least some energy back for the last part of my journy to Bowling Green.

This was the last quater of the 700 people in fron of me.
There were another four hallways full with people around the corner in the front.

I know, there are some expressions in it I woulnd't have wrote afterwards. But, since this were my feelings at the very moment I thought I'm not going to cencore it, since it should be honest and authentic. Well, the rest of the journy turned out to be more relaxing than the beginning. After the meal, I had a little chit-chat with my seat/neighbour who was I business man from asia who travells several times a year to the United States. After that, I took a sleeping pill and slept for 4 hours, which was pretty recovering. We landed in Chicago, where I had to go the the immigration service, since this was my port of entry, as well as to the US costume with my luggage. I had also to switch the terminal and stuff, but it was all way more comfortable than in London. I had even a little time to grab a bite at Mc Donalds. The last last part of my journy was then the connection flight from Chicago to Detroit, which lasted approx. 1 hour. I didn't remember a lot because I was sleeping for 50 minutes or so, I even slept away the take-off. :)

In Detroit, Fred ( a formerly exchange student in Salzburg from Bowling Green) picked me up. We also met Martin, at a different terminal and drove then to Bowling Green - which lasted another hour and some minutes. I have to admit I really was relieved to arrive in Bowling Green on time, after the problems I had to face at that day. Anyhow, we drove through Bowling Green to Fred's house. It's a quite and so typical american neighbourhood which everyone knows from shows different Tv-shows. We saw some raccoons, squirrls and rabbits running around on the street - it was kind of strange. hehe We went for sleep early, because Martin and I was pretty exhausted and we anted to prepare for our first day in Bowling Green.