Just so you all know, I made it to NYC safely and in one piece. I even survived a ride in a New York cab.

If there are more typos or errors than usual, it's because I'm using Sef's computer and it's a crazyass laptop and the buttons are all small and weird. My apologies for any i don't catch. i will probably not remember to capitalize all my pronouns, either. Usually i write my entries in Word, to be copied in after, and it does it for me. I'm lazy about it now.

So my adventure began when i got to the airport. i was immediately struck by how big the place was, how much open space there was. Up until today, i hadn't seen a plane up close, and it was bigger than i had thought it would be. I was terrified.

I found my ticket stall and killed time reading and drinking coffee until it was time for me to go through security and board my flight. Going through security was kind of funny- of course i had to be the one person who they ask to take off their shoes.

I obligingly removed my shoes, and placed them in the basket. That's when i heard the snickering.

They were laughing at my toe socks. Of all they days to wear tie-dyed toe socks. They didn't even really look at my shoes much after that- i guess they figured i didn't much fit the "terrorist profile".

When i got onto the plane i realized i had gotten the classic "William Shatner in the Twilight Zone" seat. You know the one, the one where you look out and see only a broad expanse of wing... and a small patch of ground and sky. i kept expecting to see a Gremlin on the wing. I sat there all white-knuckled and spooked, paying close attention to the safety instructions given by the flight attendants. I even took the time to read the pamphlets on safety procedures in the seat pocket.

I got a good chuckle out of the illustrations of people floating in the water, using their seats as personal floatation devices. The people in the picture were all smiling as if this was a cheerful and fun way to end a flight. They all looked way too happy to be coming off of a plane that crashed into the water.

The takeoff was scary, the whole sensation of the plane going faster and faster and then suddenly leaving the ground was most unnerving. One minute you're just trucking along, next you see the thing you're sitting in and the ground suddenly go their separate ways. Landing was also scary- you just start to get used to seeing the world from that perspective, you just start to begin losing the fear in favour of fascination, and here it comes!! The ground is racing up to meet you at a speed no car or bus would ever go.

In any case, i got off the plane in one piece in spite of delays in my layover (an hour to change the tire on the plane, another 15 minutes to fix the vcr that we won't use on such a short flight. Tell me why that made sense?) and getting seated next to a really obnoxious woman who had to be at least 7 months pregnant. She kept digging her elbow into my hip and then she decided that her feet needed to be up, so she jammed them in between the two seats in front of her-i am sure that maneuver won her a few friends in those seats. i listened to her smacking gum in my ear for the duration of the flight. When the flight finally ended, i was further delayed by her reluctance to move her ponderous bulk off the plane. Eventually she got going, and i got off the plane.

Having been too nervouse to properly eat before leaving, i was thrilled to get to Sef's place and have a can of soup. She went out and got me my favourite Progresso soup that i can't get in Canada! And we had cheese and crackers and olives... perfect meal for a long day.

I'm off to bed now, i've emailed pretty much everyone and told them i'm safe. I'm glad and grateful to be on Terra Firma again, and looking forward to more adventures tomorrow.