Back in Good Ol' PDX

Hey Everyone, Today is my final blog about my trip. Sorry about all the spelling errors in my last blog, I was in a rush to board the plane and typing on my phone. Anyway, I will pick up from where I left off. The Jewish Museum was fantastic and I totally recommend it!! It is huge and even though I was there for three hours I only saw about half of it. At that point though I was reaching an astronomical level of Hanger (remember that's hunger/anger) and I needed to get out of there before I murdered. Random fact, The Jewish Museum was the only place I went in all of Europe (other than the airport) that had a metal detector you had to walk through. They also made me carry my backpack on my chest. Not sure what this was supposed to prevent. I actually think it would make it easier to steal valuables... Anyway, I left the museum and made it back on the appropriate bus, sustaining myself on an apple. I was pretty tired just from being on a train all day and then walking through the museum. Back at the train station I committed one of the most egregious sins of my trip. I am ashamed to say I ate at a McDonald's. In my defense both an Austrian and a German told me to try it because it was different than in the States. The only difference I noticed was that the burger was colder and they gave me mayo for my fries instead of ketchup (I do not understand this obsession with my least favorite condiment-they put it on everything). Anyway, I apologize for the lapse in judgment. I would have done much better with a currywurst. After my "meal" I found the bus stopto take me to Tegel Airport. A couple of things to know about TXL: 1. TXL is one of the worst airports I have ever been to (it rivals Oakland). 2. If you want to spend the night atthis airport there will only be five of the most uncomfortable benches to sleep on and you will have to battle the homeless for a seat. 3. No single female should spend the night in that airport. It was the only time on my trip where I really felt like I had done something foolish and was scared for my life. 4. At first look TXL appears to be a very recycling friendly airport until you realize that the people collecting the bottles out of the trash are nOt janitors but rather the same homeless people who will be gently snoring on the bench next to you. 5. Next year TXL will no longer exist because someone in Berlin realized it was an eyesore. I have got to say. Having a flight out of a foreign city at 6am is quite a conundrum. Obviously you have to be to the airport by 4am for an international flight. I suppose you could get a hotel and sleep for a couple of hours but that seems like such a waste of money. It seems like such a better idea to find an uncomfortable bench to lay on, realize you aren't going to be able to sleep because that homeless guy is eyeing you (or sleeping with his eyes open), hug your purse to your chest and your chocolate even closer, and read 520 pages of a book to keep you awake. Yeah, that seems like a much better plan... After what seemed an eternity (9 hours) the airport opened at 4am. I met a lovely older lady named Winnie who let me put my stuff on her cart and talked to me in American English (never before had I realized what a pleasure that was). We boarded our flight to Amsterdam and I literally fell asleep before we took off and only woke up when the landing gear touched down in Amsterdam. I was a little disoriented and this is when I came to believe that I lost my luggage. This was because after I got off the plane you walk through baggage claim and then customs before you can reach the rest of the airport. I assumed everyone had to pick-up their bag and recheck it and nearly cried when the luggage track went by for the six hundreth time and my backpack full of chocolate was nowhere to be found. I went to the KLm window looking tearful only to be told that my bag had been checked all the way through to Portland! Score!! I made it to my gate and boarded my flight back to PDX. Some things to know about international flying: 1. Whenever possible it is important to ride on a plane that is less than half full because there will be whole middle aisles free for sleeping on. 2. It is also important to realize this fact before everyone else on the plane and you are just left with your window seat and the seat next to it. 3. Two seats is not really even enough to curl up in a small ball in. 4. It is disorienting to leave one country at 10:30 am and arrive the same day only one hour later. 5. Plane food never seems to get better and I am not sure a human actually makes these recipes. Does anyone actually taste that crap before making hundreds of hungry people choke it down? 6. No matter how hard you try jet lag always happens. Well I made it into PDX and got through customs with no trouble at all. I probably could have smuggled in the meat I left at Helen's with none the wiser. My baby brother picked me up and away I went. My return home has been great. My cat is huge and fat and my boyfriend has been loving and sweet. I am glad to be home and so proud of myself for going on this adventure!!! Thanks for reading! Cheers!