We're not in Kansas anymore...
I dropped my hubby off at the Frankfurt International Airport on the 17th and headed over to Rhein Main airbase to get on the list for a flight. Unfortunately there was one leaving the next day -- just my luck! Most people wait several days for a flight. I considered staying in the transient barracks across from the airfield, but quickly realized that I wasn't ready to deal with the military so soon. So I found a hotel room downtown and took a cab. Frankfurt is really a large, modern city but luckily my hotel was in a historic section of town near the Haupt Banhoff (main train station). I had a quiet dinner at a nearby Italian restaurant, took a hot shower and settled in for the evening. I didn't sleep well.
Thursday morning came too fast even though I slept in until 9:45 a.m. -- which meant that I had to hurry down to catch the last few minutes of breakfast. I have come to love German continental breakfast buffets with the fresh meats, cheeses and breads, jams, fruits and usually some little surprise such as smoked salmon or sausage balls. I probably had three helpings knowing is was my last for awhile.
Luckily my flight was delayed, which gave me a few hours to hang out downtown. Because it was raining I spent the time in the train station, which is HUGE! I stored my bags in a locker, browsed the shops, bought a few cards and books, and sat for awhile in a small pub enjoying a sausage sandwich and weiss (wheat) beer. It was heaven! Ya know, it's the small things in life that make it so sweet.
Eventually I knew my time in Germany was ending. I strapped my backpack on and wheeled my case filled with food and goodies for my folks back at the office down to the S-Bahn train to the airport. Public transportation in Germany is just the best!
I arrived at Rhein Main in what should have been a couple hours before my flight, however, true to form it was delayed several times. About 15 of us hung around the passenger terminal for about 8 hours waiting. I'm sure you've not had that pleasure and let me tell you that there's not much to do at Air Force passenger terminals! Luckily Rhein Main has a large USO area with free Internet access, phones, TV, hot coffee and snacks. We hung out there until they kicked us out to clean the place.
Eventually at around 11 p.m. we were told to board. We humped across the dark, cold and wet runway to our flight -- a C-17 transport loaded with supplies and equipment. They can usually hold over 50 passengers, but ours was loaded down with stuff, so only 15 passengers were allowed. We were strapped in and ready to go when apparently some highly technical piece of equipment stopped working. So we watched for over an hour while a large number of specialists came in and out working on it. They were all cheerful and highly professional, so at no time did we ever wonder whether or not things would work out. Although I have to admit that I was hoping they'd scrap the flight and I'd have another night in Germany! But no such luck -- around midnight the repairs were deemed successful and we took off.
Because the plane was loaded, there wasn't much room to stretch out. If flights aren't full some of the load masters allow the passengers to stretch out on the floor; but no such luck on this flight. We had to sleep sitting straight up in VERY uncomfortable jump seats. Seven long hours trying to sleep on a noisy transport plane, smellling the rubber tires of a huge forklift in front of me.
We arrived back in Afghanistan around 8 a.m. Friday -- complete with fur on our teeth and smelling like...well, just smelling. We stepped out onto the stairway and into the bright sunlight. As we gathered on the runway to walk to the passenger terminal one of the other passengers, a colonel from my command, looked at me and said "well, we're not in Kansas anymore."
We met up with a few of our colleagues who were at the airbase for business and convoyed back down to Kabul. I was actually excited at the thought of getting back to my office and seeing my people again. I had missed them and wished they all could have had some time off. We've kind of become a little family I guess.
At any rate, as we drove into the city the sky darkened as a dust storm blew in. The traffic was thick, mixing exhaust fumes with the dust making a mess. By the time we got to our compound the afternoon sun was almost completely masked by the dust in the air. We unloaded our bags and drug them to our rooms. I have to admit that it wasn't until that point that the reality that my too-short vacation was over and I was back in this God-forsaken place. By then I had pretty much been up for 24 hours and my emotions were a frazzled mix of wanting to see my people, take a shower, go to bed, and missing my husband terribly. I managed to accomplish all but the last. I wondered how many miles away Doug was by that point, and whether or not he was thinking about me as well. I looked down but rather than magical ruby slippers I saw combat boots. It was time to put on my game face and go back to work.
Thursday morning came too fast even though I slept in until 9:45 a.m. -- which meant that I had to hurry down to catch the last few minutes of breakfast. I have come to love German continental breakfast buffets with the fresh meats, cheeses and breads, jams, fruits and usually some little surprise such as smoked salmon or sausage balls. I probably had three helpings knowing is was my last for awhile.
Luckily my flight was delayed, which gave me a few hours to hang out downtown. Because it was raining I spent the time in the train station, which is HUGE! I stored my bags in a locker, browsed the shops, bought a few cards and books, and sat for awhile in a small pub enjoying a sausage sandwich and weiss (wheat) beer. It was heaven! Ya know, it's the small things in life that make it so sweet.
Eventually I knew my time in Germany was ending. I strapped my backpack on and wheeled my case filled with food and goodies for my folks back at the office down to the S-Bahn train to the airport. Public transportation in Germany is just the best!
I arrived at Rhein Main in what should have been a couple hours before my flight, however, true to form it was delayed several times. About 15 of us hung around the passenger terminal for about 8 hours waiting. I'm sure you've not had that pleasure and let me tell you that there's not much to do at Air Force passenger terminals! Luckily Rhein Main has a large USO area with free Internet access, phones, TV, hot coffee and snacks. We hung out there until they kicked us out to clean the place.
Eventually at around 11 p.m. we were told to board. We humped across the dark, cold and wet runway to our flight -- a C-17 transport loaded with supplies and equipment. They can usually hold over 50 passengers, but ours was loaded down with stuff, so only 15 passengers were allowed. We were strapped in and ready to go when apparently some highly technical piece of equipment stopped working. So we watched for over an hour while a large number of specialists came in and out working on it. They were all cheerful and highly professional, so at no time did we ever wonder whether or not things would work out. Although I have to admit that I was hoping they'd scrap the flight and I'd have another night in Germany! But no such luck -- around midnight the repairs were deemed successful and we took off.
Because the plane was loaded, there wasn't much room to stretch out. If flights aren't full some of the load masters allow the passengers to stretch out on the floor; but no such luck on this flight. We had to sleep sitting straight up in VERY uncomfortable jump seats. Seven long hours trying to sleep on a noisy transport plane, smellling the rubber tires of a huge forklift in front of me.
We arrived back in Afghanistan around 8 a.m. Friday -- complete with fur on our teeth and smelling like...well, just smelling. We stepped out onto the stairway and into the bright sunlight. As we gathered on the runway to walk to the passenger terminal one of the other passengers, a colonel from my command, looked at me and said "well, we're not in Kansas anymore."
We met up with a few of our colleagues who were at the airbase for business and convoyed back down to Kabul. I was actually excited at the thought of getting back to my office and seeing my people again. I had missed them and wished they all could have had some time off. We've kind of become a little family I guess.
At any rate, as we drove into the city the sky darkened as a dust storm blew in. The traffic was thick, mixing exhaust fumes with the dust making a mess. By the time we got to our compound the afternoon sun was almost completely masked by the dust in the air. We unloaded our bags and drug them to our rooms. I have to admit that it wasn't until that point that the reality that my too-short vacation was over and I was back in this God-forsaken place. By then I had pretty much been up for 24 hours and my emotions were a frazzled mix of wanting to see my people, take a shower, go to bed, and missing my husband terribly. I managed to accomplish all but the last. I wondered how many miles away Doug was by that point, and whether or not he was thinking about me as well. I looked down but rather than magical ruby slippers I saw combat boots. It was time to put on my game face and go back to work.
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