Long Way Home

It sure was a long way home! Full of lots of movies, sleeping, waiting, and anticipation*.

*side note. although uganda was an experience of a lifetime. i recommend doing it long before you are engaged... but alls well that ends well i suppose

The adventure home included a 14 hour layover in Heathrow...during the London Olympics I might add... I was so excited to venture out and see a quick, few hour tour of London but upon our arrival the weather was terrible! I wasn't too interested in dragging my luggage around a rainy London, so I stayed in the airport the entire time while watching the Olympics. Not the highlight of my adventure, but I didn't want to leave any room for error. I was NOT missing that flight!

I ended up flying from London alone, then the lay over in Chicago, then...SLC!!! I cannot even describe the emotions that were running through me as our airplane landed in Salt Lake. I knew Jonathan had arrived in SLC a few days earlier, so he and my family would be waiting at the bottom for me.

I was right :)

I had the entire homecoming planned in my head. In fact, I had it planned since the day I flew out to Uganda. If there was ever a spare moment and my mind was left to wander- it wandered me right on home.

As I walked myself to the escalator, knowing dear Jonathan who I had only seen via blurry skype would be waiting at the bottom of it, my heart went nuts.

I quickly went back to my homecoming dream. I would get off the plane looking beautiful and tan. I would gracefully approach the escalator, embark on the longest ride of my life as the escalator slowly descended. Cue the romantic music and slow motion as Jonathan and I ran into each others arms. (I know you all can picture this too.)

Well...to my surprise, that is not exactly how it all went down.

Seeing as I hadn't showered in forever, I just spent about 36 hours traveling, I was a frizzy mess. And not tan. And definitely not graceful as I got on the escalator. In fact, I don't clearly remember the next 15 minutes or so. Let's just say- out of body experience.

As I looked at the ground below I saw Jonathan, my family, and some of his family waiting for me. At this point Jonathan was heading to the closest point he could get to.


There was in fact no romantic music, no slow motion, and I DIDN'T EVEN RUN! The best, potentially most romantic moment of my life was ruined. By me. I just sauntered on over as he waved me to hurry like any fiance would. That's when I picked up my pace a bit.

I honestly do not remember one thing going on in my head. It was too surreal, I couldn't comprehend what was happening, and this thing I thought about for the last 3 months was happening. And what did I do? I WALKED!

I will blame this really out of body experience on jetlag, parasites, and pure fear that this dream I had been dreaming would once again end, and i'd wake up to my mosquito net and foam mattress.

Of course I wish I could relive this moment again. This time i'd pack my own mini stereo to play the music, make sure I was anything but frizzy looking, and run my little heart out.

But even though it was not exactly how I imagined it in my head. It felt 100 times better in my heart.

Untitled from Hayley H on Vimeo.