7:41 p.m. Wednesday, July 11 - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
I have safely arrived at my first leg of this journey... but not without some excitement first. :-)
Had a very smooth and uneventful check-in, about an hour to savor with my dear family and a few good friends, and then said a heart-wrenching good-bye and headed through security and to my terminal. It took everything in me to keep walking towards the terminal and not turn around and come running home to everything that is comfortable and familiar. I was on the verge of crying as I walked away, but I haven't come this far for nothing, so I tried to push aside the thoughts running through my mind and pressed forward. I'm not going to Belgium for "comfortable and familiar", so I shouldn't expect that feeling anyhow! Sat in the terminal for maybe 15 minutes trying to gather my thoughts and calm myself. I wrote in my journal for a bit, which helped, and asked God to "help me!". Minutes later, a lady and her son walked up and sat down beside me... get this... carrying two animal carriers, one with a big Himalyan cat and the other with an 8 month old papillon puppy!!!! Turns out the lady was moving to Goodyear, Arizona. She brought the puppy out of the crate, and shortly thereafter the puppy was in my arms and I was being covered in little doggy licks and being softly hit with a wagging tail. How's that for some amazing provision on God's part! :-) I couldn't help but smile after that, and before I knew it, it was time to board the plane. I gave the lady back her puppy, grabbed my carry-on luggage and headed for the plane. Then the real excitement started... hee-hee-hee.. not.
We boarded the plane at 3:45, but due to some stormy weather in Philadelphia, we ended up siting on the plane in the airport until about 5:30 p.m... about 30 minutes AFTER the time I was scheduled to arrive in Philadelphia. Good thing for that 3 1/2 hour layover! Turns out my layover is only 1 1/2 hours now, as we finally safely arrived to Philadelphia at about 7:00 p.m. The flight was fine. I had my own seat with no seat next to me, and all the passengers were very quiet and mostly businessman and women. (Sorry Jessica R.! :-) We arrived to Philadelphia with plenty of time for me to call home and let the family know where I am, grab a little dinner (tuna wrap...), and sit here and type this update. Unfortunately, I can't seem to figure out how to use wireless internet that doesn't cost anything, so this update is going to have to be a little belated!
Thank you, as always, for your prayers. They're truly carrying me through this crazy, exciting, fun, exhausting, etc. day! :-)
Please pray that I would get rest tonight on the plane (I'm tired!), that I would continue to be able to deal with the reality of the long term separation from pretty much everything I know (it's good and necesarry for me at this time I think... I just have to keep reminding me of that!), and that I will be able to settle into Brussels, Belgium life okay. I'm getting excited as I sit here and hear people speaking different languages! I sure hope I can pick some new languages up while I'm away... and hopefully I don't mix them up! :-)
Hugs of the big, squeezy, encouraging kind!
~ MB
