It has been a busy week (month, year, whatever). I FINALLY finished all my training classes for work, which had me criss-crossing the east coast for the better part of 8 months this year. It is good to be back for more than a week, finally feeling like I live in my apartment again instead of living in a hotel. I got home Friday night from DC, after ALMOST missing my connection in Miami ( I got a rude comment from a man on my first flight about me getting ahead of other passengers to get off the plane, after flight attendants asked those people whose final destination was Miami, to please stay in their seats until the passengers trying to make close connections could get off first (NO, the entire 24 rows ahead of me were DESERTED, as me and a few other people were stuck in the back being harassed by rude people for trying to catch a flight home. I only had time to RACE through the airport in flats and a dress, with two bags, sweating and panting (I am out of shape), and only had time to frantically pee and fling myself into the jetway to get on the plane. I barely noticed the clowns with balloons, face paint and horns surrounding my gate (even the pilots/flight attendants had their faces painted), but finally paid attention once I flung myself into my seat and caught my breath (Still cursing the man with the rude comment/wiping beads of sweat off my face) . Once I noticed the people around me were wearing the same shirts as the clowns and volunteers had been, I started to figure out what was going on. American Airlines has a program called Something MAAgic http://www.somethingmaagic.org/, and it is American Airlines version of the Make A Wish Foundation, where they fly kids with chronic or terminal illnesses to Disney for a week with their family. I was sitting next to a young Spanish girl whose sister Estella, was being flown to Disney for the week. Alba, 19, (Estella’s sister) spoke a little English, so we started talking, and she tried to explain what was wrong with her sister, who is 14. What she describes sounded to me like bladder cancer, because she held up her hands in a circle the size of a softball, and pointed to the lower stomach area. We talked the whole flight, about her life in Spain, my life in America, and what she was looking forward to after being on a plane all day (MadridBarcelonaMiami Orlando), she wanted a cigarette, to talk to her boyfriend and to sleep all day . She was lovely to talk to , and my heart broke for this skinny, adorable Estella, who has a whole life ahead of her that she probably wont get to experience. It made my feel like my “problems” (aka being tired, sweaty and not wanting to spend a few hours in Miami waiting for another flight) seem trivial and childish. When we landed in Orlando (approximately 40 minutes after leaving Miami, you gotta love it), we get off the plane and are met with a group of screaming, cheering, face-painted, sign holding, super excited people. They were volunteers waiting for Estella and another boy and his family who were part of this Something MAAgic foundation. They cheered for everyone coming off the plane, and I stopped to watch when Estella and her family got off the plane. I almost started flat-out bawling, and I am coming close right now as I type this. They went nuts, Estella had the biggest smile on her face, and it was so moving to see that kind of support from strangers, volunteers who came to the airport on a rainy, muggy Friday night just to welcome these kids to Orlando. When I looked into the program, they have people at every airport to cheer for them, and this was the big welcome in Orlando, and another one at the village where they stay for the week. I was so humbled by this experience, I can’t even describe. Little moments in life make you stop and think, and I am so grateful for that.
After getting home and lugging my suitcase (50lbs), computer bag, purse and tijuana flats up 3 flights of stairs in one trip (I REFUSE to make more than one trip, and my suitcase needs to be opened/unpacked the same night I get home), I could finally relax and casually eat my food inhale my tacos and queso like it was my last meal, shower, unpack and crawl into bed. The next day I finally went back to yoga (yay!) got lunch, did some stuff around the apartment and went to see my parents. Then it was GAME TIME BABY! FSU CLEMSON College Game Day in Tallahasee, my friends saved spots at the Orlando FSU bar, and we were ready to GO! Fast forward about 4 hours later, the Seminoles are victorious in a crazy, fast-paced, back and forth, speedy, awesome game, complete with the usual frustrations of penalties, missed blocks, missed catches, muffs and fumbles, plus 7 free shots from the bar (one for every score), plus 5 rounds of shots we bought on our own (hello $130 bar tab! That is a LOT for a group of pretty girls, just saying), plus beer, plus screaming, jumping up and down, crying (me, yes I did), hugging (lots of hugging), we were 3 happy, drained, drunk girls. Was it awesome at the time? Yes! Was it worth the hangover/ complete waste of a Sunday the next day? No.
Anyways, after the hangover wore off, it was back to reality (aka work) and back to soccer 3x per week (yay!), seeing Justin Timberlake’s new movie, Trouble with the Curve (cute, but not worth a full price ticket. I had Fandango passes that I needed to use by the end of the week, and that was the only movie that sounded ok.) Honestly I liked the previews better, seeing what is coming out (Les Miserable, Life of Pi, and a sort-of sequel to Knocked Up). My teams won all 3 games this week, even though I am more than a little rusty from not playing since July. I have huge blisters on my feet from my cleats, and another toenail is probably going to fall off (sorry for TMI), but it feels great to be back out there.
This weekend it is dinner with a friend tonight, and meeting my sister and my roommate in Tampa for the USF-FSU game, which I am so excited about Then its back for another work week before I leave Friday to fly to Raleigh to watch FSU-NC State! THEN, the weekend after that will be spent in Tallahasee for Parent’s Weekend for my sister. That’s a lot of football, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I still cant believe we are 4 games into the season! Soon it will be over again and I will have nothing to look forward to (kidding, kinda).
Anyways, I just found a tasty Jalapeno popper dip I want to make for the tailgate, I need to pack my best garnet and gold attire ( I made my packing list at work), clean out my filthy car, do some laundry and get my butt to yoga.
Have a great weekend! Go Noles!
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