Free night in Frankfurt and surprising the PNW.

36 hours. Zurich to Seattle.

Zurich. Train. Stuck in Germany. Cancelled flight. 

A free night in Frankfurt? We dig it.

We were standing in the lobby of the airport hotel when I started blabbing about how maybe 

someone would met there future spouse and it would all be worth it.

"You know, Sarah? Look at all these people mingling,

 how magical it would be if they hooked up and got married. 

Like 'If it wasn't for the delay of flight #6048 I never would have met Frank!"

Someone overheard us and started snickering.

So, we took to speaking Norwegian to each other.

At which point, Mr. Snickering American asks

"Du snakker Norsk?"

Pardon? A Norwegian speaking Washingtonian. Who knew, right?

New friend (but don't worry, he's taken)

We also met and befriended a lost French 16-year-old exchange student.

Dinner party at the hotel with new friends and complementary beer.

Our lost French friend requested cigarettes for her stay in Seattle,

which led us to make a brief exploration of Frankfurt at midnight.

Ran into a very rowdy bachelor party who sent us back on our train with leis.

10 hour flight. Spanish conversations about observing Greenland from the air.
Landing in Seattle.

***

I had not told anyone I was returning back to the States.
 Everyone was expecting me in July.

Big secret!

Russell, Grace's BF, took me to surprise my sister, Grace at work. 

She had no idea.

 She screamed and cried and almost dropped a stack of dishes.

10 months worth of unreceived hugs ensued.

Then I started to cry when we went grocery shopping.

Much to the amusement and boisterous laughter of Grace and Russell.

But seriously, I've never been so happy to see Swiss Chard in all my life.

Picnic in the orchard. Kombucha. Watermelon. Snuggles.

 Beach. Re-introduction to the Pacific Ocean. Culture shock.

Oh, how I missed my dear sister!

Grace's boss let her have the next day off so she came home with me.

Russell drove us to Bellingham.

I walked directly into my parent's house and burst unannounced into the living room.

Mom screamed and threw her hands in the air. Kelly laughed.

They were quite surprised.

Laughing. Hugs. Tears.

Kelly passed me a big margarita and said

"I'll see you in the morning" 

I love that man.

Jetlag, stories, falling asleep snuggled next to Grace in the spare bedroom.

Home.