I tried to get mine and my mom's flights as close together as possible so that we would be at the airport at the same time despite the fact that we were going our separate ways. My flight left Budapest at 9:15 a.m. and my mom's flight left at 11 a.m., so we made it our goal to be to the metro station by 6:15 a.m. It was a short 1-block walk to the metro station, where we took the M3 blue line to Hatar Ut, walked a short block, and then took bus #200E to the airport. The airport was surprisingly modern. The line to check in was long, but I don't think there was any security lines to go through (but that could be me just forgetting). We went to the food court and ate breakfast, and then I changed my forints back into dollars and was on my way to Dusseldorf after a short 20-minute delay. I took a small commuter jet run by United but under the name "Eurowings". The flight from Budapest to Dusseldorf was about an hour and 15 minutes.
I didn't realize how close together my flights were, because that short 20-minute delay to Dusseldorf almost made me miss my connection to Chicago. I rushed off the plane, had to go through the short customs area, and immediately boarded the next flight. I didn't even have time to get my VAT refund (there's a 20% value-added tax added on to your purchases in Europe. You can get a refund of that tax if you spend over $75 in one purchase. Granted, I would have only gotten $20 back, but it was a rip that because I couldn't get this certain stamp at the airport because of my flight that I couldn't get my refund. The fleecing of Americans!)
I took Lufthansa to Chicago, and it was better in quality than the Austrian Air flight we had taken over to Vienna. I sat by this older German woman whom I had to help put on her seatbelt, figure out the tray table, and work her TV. Lucky me, she also had some special dietary need so I had to keep from gagging when she opened her lunch of salmon, asparagus, and then she ordered a beer to go with it. My lunch was pretty decent: chicken, orzo, a nasty glob of cooked spinach (didn't touch it with a 10-foot pole), a roll, salad (with a bug in it, yay!), chocolate cake, and a wedge of camembert (sp?) cheese. The flight was 8 1/2 hours long and went over England, Scotland, Greenland, down through Quebec, and then in to Chicago. I watched Midnight in Paris with Owen Wilson, and it was boring enough that I slept through a good hour of it. Then I watched a few sitcoms. Then I watched Roman Holiday with Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck (loved it!), and then I watched part of Disney's African Cats. I also read a bit and did my crosswords, but I tell ya, 8 1/2 hours is a long flight. Oh, and we also got another snack-y meal. I chose the bratwurst something or other, and I'm glad I did. It was a bratwurst filled with mustard, rolled into the shape of a pretzel and put on top of an actual pretzel. Genius! The flight attendants also kept bring drinks around, so I have to give them props for their service.
We landed in Chicago around 2 p.m., and then I had to go through the arduous task of going through customs. Between the first customs line, picking up my luggage and going through the second customs line, re-checking that luggage for my next flight, and going through security again, I killed a good hour and a half. It didn't matter - my flight to KC was delayed and I didn't leave until 6:45 to go home. I spent my time in a corner next to a plug, recharging my phone that I'd brought with me as a just-in-case measure (but never used it) and checking my email and reading that 95 items in my Google Reader that I'd missed for the past 2 weeks.
My flight to KC was on a teeny little commuter jet where the toilet wasn't even functioning, so we got delayed even more for those people that had to get off the plane to use the toilet before we left. The flight was just an hour and a half - cake compared to 8 1/2 hours!
Super props go to Brian and the kids for greeting me at the airport with my favorite frozen custard from Sheridan's (Brian said it was to help me stay awake - by then it was 8 p.m. KC time, 3 a.m. in Budapest so I was tiiiiired). I got home and gave everyone their souvenirs, and then it was off to bed for the kids.
Really, I have the best family ever. Specifically, the best husband ever. Not once did he complain about this trip. Not the time, not the cost, not having to be Mr. Mom. He had to work his schedule around big-time for me. Not only that, but I came home to a clean house - floors were vacuumed, bathrooms cleaned, laundry done, and Brian had even washed our sheets and towels that day because he knows I like clean sheets.
I had the BEST time on this trip. I'm not saying that everything went according to plan and that my mom and I got along ever minute of every day. But I loved Austria, I loved Germany, and despite the negative things I'd heard about Budapest, I loved it too. Every place was unique and good in its own way. I can with 100% certainty say that I would go back again if given the opportunity.
So, Mom - happy birthday to us! We sure know how to celebrate, huh? Let's do it again in another 5 years!
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