tuesday evening was spent in the theif-trap we call the mombasa/nairobi train, that on the paricular occasion took 17 hour through the choking heat and humidity to bring us back to nairobi, where we packed and sorted our bags for a thursday afternoon departure headed back home via dubai. after 5 hours of a xanax-accompanied flight to dubai, we stopped for a few hours and headed back to nyc where the sleeping pill i popped somewhere over saudi arabia only worked- and very heavily at that- for about 3 hours before i woke somewhere over europe to our airplane bouncing along. somewhere in the 12th hour of the 14 hour flight, i began crying. i am not sure i it was from watching 'walk the line' for the 5th time, imagining myself plumeting to my death into the freezing atlantic, or the fact that i was coming home to deal with all of the shit i had so eagerly left behind. either way, i cried until landing and had to drag my zombie-lik kids through customs and immigration, with liz nowhere to be seen (hopefully not missing her connecting flight back to ca).
all went well in the ny airport and as i approached a taxi to take me to get my bags in brooklyn and then on to penn station, i got snubbed for some snotty women in suits. ahhhh... america.
i arrived with my sleeping beauties in penn station, several hours early for the train to sana rosa. the ticket lady loved us and gifted us with a pass to the 1st class business lounge so we could drink free soda, watch tv and sleep. the train left promptly at 4pm and after the beautiful train ride along the hudson river, an announcement comes via our sarcastic and funny train conductor, informing us that somewhere near erie, pennsylvnia there was a major freight derailment that will delay us in buffalo for about 2-3 hours. as my layover in chicago was supposed tobe 4 hours, i felt hopeful that i'd still get to visit with mickey for a few minutes and have time to catch the train to california. however, news of one derailment turns to two... followed by news of a broken track, a frozen train engine in ohio and a gas leak somwhere in indiana. the 3 hours delay turns into 8 and i no-doubt miss my train, arriving in chicago at 6:30pm instead of 10am.
lucky for me, mickey returned to the station and accompanied us to the fancy hotel that amtrak put us up in and spent the better part of the night at my hotel, watching the kids sleep and discussing death and existentialism over chicago pizza and root beer. this morning, we'll drag the kids into the freezing cold to an art museum and then i'll be on my way to the train station for my 2pm departure with the cab fare and food money amtrak also gave me. i should be in santa rosa at 8pm on tuesday.. totally exhausted and ready for my bed.
this hasbeen quite a journey that although is exhausting and frustrating at times- i am going to be sad to see end.
see you all soon. xo
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