Back in the USA

Well, my first part of this journey with the Monks and Nuns has come to an end with my touch down at the Atlanta airport.

It was quite an adventure getting back to the USA. The flight from Dharamsala to Delhi was as expected, save for the glorious bag of "Bingo" potato chips that I ate like a starved yard dog.

I got to Delhi at 5:00 p.m. and, as is the case with the remnants of all things British in India, the bureaucracy was incredible. I was not allowed to enter the airport until 4 hours before the flight so a man at the airport door both shuttled me away to a holding pen across the street while simultaneously asking me if he could come to Atlanta to get a job from me. I was checked and papers stamped so many times it was ridiculous.

At 8:40 p.m. I was allowed by decree to enter the airport and went through many lines with many uniformed, but unattentive, people manning the stations. During my time at the gate, I repacked my backpack and found a large 2 inch winged creature (hmmm.... a roach?? I thought) that had snagged a ride from Dharamsala to Delhi. Shooing it away, I finished my repack and ate the few items that I could purchase that I could insure were safe (a half a cup of cashews and a bottle of Snapple). Just before departure, a uniformed young lady insisted that I return to the screener to get my tag on my bag "stamped". She had me send it through the screening device again with the same person who had screened and tagged it for carry on 3 hours earlier. She didn't take notice that my backpack had the same hang tag that was unstamped and I didn't press the issue.

I had a whole row to myself on the flight to Paris and had a great night's sleep. We departed Delhi at 1:00 a.m. and arrived 9.5 hours later at 6:30 a.m.

After a quick wash up during the 3 hour layover, a very long line in Paris' security line, and then enjoying a croissant and bottle of juice, I was on my way again for the US. The 10.5 hour flight was interminably long and even though I toggled between watching movies (Juno and 27 dresses), TV (The Office which as usual was very funny), and sleeping, the time seemed to really drag on. I sat next to a man returning from Afghanistan where he trains the local police.

Arrival in the US was a bit of an "out of body experience" and I was somewhat overwhelmed. Everything seemed so easy and navigable. Never again will I curse the Atlanta aiport (well, maybe only the TSA people). After clearing customs in Atlanta, Bob met me, we got my bags, and headed straight for a hamburger and french fries, both of which I only enjoy occasionally but for some reason, I had a craving for. I did really want a milkshake since I had not had any dairy products for 2 weeks (nor any sweets) but the place didn't come thru on that. But, the burger and fries were really tasty!

It is now Sunday (I arrived late Wednesday). After doing laundry and generally trying to reorganize my body clock and my work on Thursday, I spent Friday at a productive all day meeting with the Challenge & Champions staff since our program begins in a week. Yesterday was more (seems to take forever!!) unpacking and putting things away and today I feel I am truly back on local time and am set to go.

I will continue to post to the blog about once a week as I debrief with the others on the teacher leadership team and delve more into the details of the data from my interviews.

Stay tuned
karen