IAH -->CDG

Note: This is a bit much but I am trying to write down all the little details that I would probably forget otherwise! :)   Also I don't have any pictures so this is not that exciting of a post!  But thanks for reading (or skimming, haha)! 

My last few days in Texas were an emotional roller coaster! I cried all the tears and had all the crying headaches and gave all the hugs and prayed prayers for my mission, my family and my future school family at ICSB!

 

On Thursday I exercised at the YMCA and then went out for breakfast tacos with my sister and her family. They were so delicious! 

Back at home I opened up all my luggage and did a final run through of my packing list! All throughout the day, I had phone calls, visits and sweet last minute gifts from friends and family. My dad had to work that day so it was nice having people keep me company all day!  

 On Thursday evening my family went out for Italian at one of our favorite Kingwood restaurants, J. Christopher's. It was a wonderful last dinner to enjoy at home! 

That night I got 8 hours of sleep which was such an answer to prayer! I had not slept well the night before. 

On Friday morning, I: 

1. Wrote some cards 

2. Ate a final mug of Blue Bell ice cream (Mint Chocolate Chip)  

3. Cried on the couch with my dad  

4. Spent time with my sister and her kids  

5. Straightened up my bedroom

6. Cried with my sister 

7. Texted and emailed with a bunch of people  

8. Fought the final Battle of the Luggage Weight with my trusty assistant, my dad! (okay to be honest, my dad did most of the heavy lifting!)  

9. Felt thankful that my fundraising was compete in June and that I am able to start the school year at ICSB!  

 Later on my dad and I picked up my sister to come with us to the airport. I said goodbye to her husband, my nieces and nephew, and cried a lot. Then we were off! 

We made it to terminal D and got my luggage dropped off pretty quickly! Then it was time for the final hugs and tears and I-love-yous! IT. WAS. SO. HARD. 

 I made it through security (again, pretty quickly - so grateful!) and then sat down to put away my laptop and put my shoes back on. I felt God's presence with me and thought of Psalm 91 and angels surrounding me! I suddenly thought of all the people who were lifting me up in prayer today. I want you all to know - I felt strengthened by your prayers and your love! I can't explain it but I just felt emboldened with confidence and peace. Thank you so much!

 I got to my gate with an hour to spare so I texted, emailed, ate chocolate and listened to the "In the Heights" soundtrack (current obsession)! 

 When I boarded the plane I realized my seat was not the best. It was in the middle of a row of four, at the front of a new section so...no personal screen to watch movies, no USB to charge my phone, and no seat in front of me to put my backpack under. I would have to store it overhead & get it out each time I needed something. Not the end of the world, but not the best set-up for 8+ hours in the air!  

 I was texting my sister and she said "Can you change seats or is it full?" I'm so glad she said that because it really hadn't occurred to me that I could ask for a new seat. I never want to bother flight attendants or be one of those people making annoying demands! The flight was crowded but I could tell the plane wasn't full. A flight attendant nearby was trying to help a couple with a baby find a way to sit all together. I told her I would love nothing more than to change seats & help that family. As it happened, she ended up moving me to a completely different section closer to the front of the plane! I had an entire row of four seats to myself! I thanked her profusely and sent my sister a text with all the praise hand emojis!!!

The same flight attendant even came by to check on me after we took off to make sure I was good.  

Within an hour I was relaxed, sipping ginger ale and looking forward to dinner! On long flights I like to do "dinner and a movie" and start something new right as it is served - just for fun! (Maybe everyone does this?) I decided on Finding Nemo because I hadn't watched it in a few years. It still makes me laugh out loud! 

When the movie was over, it was time to *attempt* sleep by:  Listening to the entire Audrey Assad album "Inheritance".......Listening to Audrey Assad song "I See You" on repeat.......Turning on the Disney movie The Princess & the Frog........Reading a new book (The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult).  Reading finally made me tired and I did sleep for about an hour which was better than nothing!  

 My new favorite flight attendant of all time, Priscilla, checked on me throughout the flight. We talked about Disney movies and her 2 year old daughter. She asked about where I was headed and was very interested to hear about ICSB! She was just the sweetest. If I can find a way to write a positive review about her on the AirFrance website, I will! (Note to my dad: I know you will not be surprised by any part of this story!) :) 

When I landed here in Paris, I turned on my phone to find 32 texts and it made me so happy! I feel so loved and so cared for by my people!  The security checkpoint here in Paris took nearly an hour - screening of carry-on luggage was fast but the line for border patrol was ridiculously long.  There were 10 booths and only 3 of them were open.  Lovely!  People in line were furious because they were missing their connecting flights. :(  

It's morning here so I feel like I should be eating breakfast but Houston time is 3:45am??!  And I basically took a nap instead of having a regular night's sleep.  Oh well!  I will try to post again soon once I land in Budapest! Thank you again for all the love, support and prayers!