I'm going to have to unpack my stuffed little 23 kg suitcase for the purposes of packing my life into boxes. Certainly a daunting task, considering the great amount of stuff I have to squish into a small amount of boxes (too lazy to go out and buy more), despite my having already donated about three enormous boxes worth of clothing and kitchen equipment to the Salvation Army. My floor is completely strewn with belongings because of my philosophy (that is, excuse) of having to lay everything out before I can pack them up.
The minutes before walking through the airport gates are always the most wretched, which is why I never give my flight details to my friends--the fewer people to send me off, the better. Hugging the brother and the new sister (we have now embraced Andrea as the third sister in the family) goodbye the day before and going on our way lah-dee-dum was perfectly painless. Even saying goodbye to the sister in my room the night before was not as hard. But hugging the parents goodbye at the airport always makes me bawl. This time, I weeped all the way into my seat in the plane. (I usually get a grip of myself by the security checkpoint because the distraction of finding the right gate and doing the right things usually takes over by then.)
Moments before the wretchedness:
And my only happy proof of being randomly selected to be bumped up to Business First class on my 13-hour Narita-Newark leg:
Yes, it was such a huge blessing! Comfy seats that recline to a flat 180 degrees with adjustable back support, five-course dinner including little sushi bites and a sirloin steak, delicious breakfast with liquored chocolates, abundance of bubbly and wine, pretty stewardess, and impeccable service. Very much more restful than usual, despite the fact that I couldn't really sleep (as always). It was lovely, and it was something I don't foresee myself being able to afford anytime in the near future :P Shall look fondly upon my little free travel pack as a reminder that blessings in the form of free seat upgrades actually do happen!