Flights, Funerals, Farewell, and NOT Even My Own Bed...

I have flown more the last week then I have in my lifetime. Tuesday night I had to fly to Fairbanks for my first "run" on the train. Wednesday I got home from my first day on the train - which was AWESOME!!! Glad to be back. I get off the train around 9:30pm to run home, pack, and head to the airport to catch a 12:55am flight to St. George. By this point I'm extremely exhausted. I get on the plane to sit next to a young man who looks about my age. I sit down with no intentions of wanting to talk - I'm tired. The plane hasn't even taken off and he starts talking to me...before I know it two hours have gone by and we are still talking. Sorry, no phone numbers were exchanged, but it made for a fast flight. I arrive in SLC to sleep for two hours why I wait for my flight to St. George. I fall fast asleep on the uncomfortable chairs and wake up just in time to catch the slobber that is slowly seeping out the corner of my mouth. Woosh - that would've been extremely embarrassing. I then get on the plane bound for St. George to have a very attractive, blue eyed, air waiter. Again, fall fast asleep. I then wake up to the captain telling us it will be bumpy into St. George. I have never had such a horrible flight. Almost everyone in the plane screamed when we dropped unexpectedly. I was ever so happy to be back on the solid earth.

Next day, spent time with family, that I feel I haven't seen forever. It was so good to see everyone, I wish we had more time. Plus, it was so fun to watch the season finale of "The Office"!!! I then wound up writing my talk about Grandma at around midnight to not quite finish at 2:00am. Then I fall fast asleep in bed number one. Wake the next morning to scramble together and try to finish my talk - hope Grandma was pleased with the job I had done. After the funeral and all the food, my family and I decided to hike up Kanarraville Falls. Beautiful, and well worth the hike that was just around the bend??? Then it was a night of visiting and to bed late, me on bed number two - a couch.

Saturday it was off for Salt Lake to stay with more cousins until I catch my flight back to Anchorage. Had a quick drive to SLC with Ethan, Libby, and Jeremy - still can't believe how fast that drive went. Good conversation always makes time fly. Thanks for the MONSTER milk shake - I now know that I am 100% lactose intolerant, but it was a damn good milk shake, and I loved every minute of it!!! Thanks again for the ride to SLC!
Arrive at my other cousins, Ryan and Anisa for a yummy BBQ, and more visiting with family. I then head to bed early in bed number three. I had some of the best nights sleep at Lucas and Shellie's, Oh MY Gosh - it was much needed, and so wonderful! We wake up Sunday for a dear family friends Mission Farewell. Once again, more visiting. The best was Cash, we arrive at the Farewell and he tells Jessie and I that we can't stay long...three hours later we are finally leaving, because Cash was ready. By all means I was ready to go after about an hour...Silly boy??? Family leaves and I am left in Salt Lake to be fed a most delicious meal at Lucas and Shellie's home - HOLY COW your potato salad was identical to Granny's and if I wasn't careful I could have ate the whole thing. It was time for bed once again, and it was my fourth different bed, bed number four. Another awesome nights sleep.

Final day in Utah, headed off to the airport (thanks again Anisa for driving me) to catch my flight to Anchorage. I had a three hour layover in Denver so I tried to make some time with more family, Aaron. Schedules didn't work out and we didn't get to meet up, but we caught up on the phone and all was good. We finally leave for Anchorage and I am on an end seat with a empty seat between me and the older gentleman - nice nobody in between us...spoke/thought to soon on that. Literally just before the plane takes off a small girl of about ten is placed between us. Soon the flight attendant asks if I would be willing to switch seats so that her ten year old friend can sit by her. I said it was fine because she said she would pay for my movie - yes you have to literally pay for everything on these flights today. I switched and head back to my seat where I am sandwiched between a sweet girl and gross old man who smelt bad and chewed tobacco and kept spitting in his orange juice can. Free movie...was it worth it??? That was the longest flight I have ever been on...I was thinking that driving to Alaska was a whole lot faster than that flight. I made it to Alaska, to find Bev waiting for over an hour, thank you again Bev! It was nice to be home, home for the summer. I'm excited to get working and making some money so I can pay for my flights from hell. All in all it was so good to come home, to see family, to have the opportunity to speak at my Grandmas funeral, to see the beauty of Utah, and to eat lots of good food. My summer will be over before I know it...so I'm going to enjoy every minute because tomorrow I'll be coming home!!!