V-Day: The Final Post (Director's Cut)

(Editor's Note(EN): I couldn't leave this on a conversation about Cheers, so here is the final post, three weeks in the making)

So I sit in the same Amsterdam airport casino where I sat some 21 days ago meeting friends from points beyond, nearly missing my flight to the great land of Bombay. It’s currently some time between 7am and 8am with the sounds of a happening blackjack table behind me. I’m feeling the first tinges of delirium on this journey back in time to the glorious land of the 935, which should greet me within about 14 hours. I’m unable to find an internet connection so this post probably won’t go up until Monday morning (EN: June 11th), but for the purpose of killing time I’m going ahead with it.

I’d like to tell you that my perspective on life is radically changed or that I’m one step closer to enlightenment, but sadly I don’t believe this is the case. My lasting impressions of Bombay occurred this morning while trying to successfully escape the Bombay International Airport amongst the varying chaos that I had come to except from the local scene. Luckily it only cost me 100rP to have a guide bypass all formal entry points for civilized airport security and straight to the “Preferred Travelers” section, which takes on another meaning in these parts.

As I lightly sip the sweet nectar of a “Dutch flavored water” my same Airbus is getting restocked and reloaded, much like myself, for its continuation onto beautiful Seattle-Tacoma International Airport(EN: I would soon find out in 3 hours that my Airbus from India broke down and that my final flight wouldn't be for another 27 hours).

It’s amazing the leap that I’ve made in a mere 9 hours from a 2nd world nation, where I never for a moment felt “in place” to an advanced 1st world nation, where I feel like just another cog in an amazingly clean Dutch wind-machine.

My final day, yesterday? Is remembered with amazing sadness about leaving the group of individuals that had become my community for the past three weeks. The names that I could hardly pronounce the first week were soon becoming memorable, and I couldn’t have been more satisfied with the decision to make this journey and develop these relationships. Ok, enough with the Hallmark closing post, but I seriously don’t have enough poor man's wit right now to make this a hall of fame post.

My mind wonders to what life is going to be like after a week, a month, a year, about how I will remember this trip and the experiences gained. Will there be any? I guess speculating at this time is worthless, when all I really want is the smell of the sheets of my own bed and to be able to make a meal with having to make a phone call. (EN: all of which have worn off by this point, and I'm fully prepared to setup a phone in my bedroom that dials directly to room service at the Meridian for a pot of tea and a club sandwich on white)

Barring a serious event (EN: I suppose this was the moment I sabatoged my planes health), I’m going to finish hydrating on “Dutch water” and pop some sleeping pills for aisle seat 39H, but before I do so I do have to send congratulations to our resident Blues fan for his team's deserving FA Cup Title in a game I caught five minutes before I checked out of the hotel(EN: still bitter about the match, but feel better so far in the transfer window, but back to the moment). Despite the first 45 minutes, the match was exactly as advertised and the better team in that setting got the hardware. That doesn’t mean I’m not a little pissed and not planning on taking it out on someone in the resumption of the Lodge World Cup Tourney, but that’s for another time(EN: like Thursdays).

My road back is at the half way point(EN: another dagger into the fate of the Airbus) and it can’t come soon enough, I’m laying all this out for Lodge members that Wednesday May 23rd will be an official gathering for the Champions League Final(EN: great gathering, decent card game, horrible match). Attendance is not mandatory, but recommended even though no teams of interest will be involved(EN: this can't be emphasized enough). You know what that means though? Gambling, on the game and off, so make sure you set aside some time and show some love for a weary traveler.

It’s been a pleasure to post for these past three weeks, and if I ever do it again I hope it’s for three weeks here in Amsterdam. (EN: I'm keeping this live and renaming it based upon any future travel that I happen to stumble across, if you know me and would like to use this space for travel posting, let me know and we'll change up the name/template or you can just create your own)

Cheers.

Post Script: A lot of things have changed since I became a US resident again, and my memories have started to fade regarding my time in the Curry Fiesta, but the reception I've received from everyone who read this while I'll was gone was great and thank you for all your support while I was gone.