Our last week in Albania is a bit of blur in my mind. With so much on my mind, counting hours, checking lists, measuring baggage limits... it's no wonder we forgot our good camera and the drone for our last trip to Metalle.
Furthermore, two of our teammates were absent due to a family funeral, but the poppies were so pretty, they necessitated a stop, missing people and equipment aside. I failed to take into account user experience and bright sunshine...
A parting shot to remember Metalle on sunnier days...
Some teary hugs goodbye... (pardon the mid-riff -- Ellie's growing like a weed and clothes shopping is at the top of the list upon returning to America)!
A last sunset in Albania for a while...
(below) My eager travelers, ready for the first flight. After being asked WAY too many times (for months leading up to our departure) if they would be woken in the middle of the night, versus early in the morning, if it would be light or dark when we woke them up... (such are the questions from one who still struggles to understand a clock), it was a lot of fun to wake them at 2AM and tell them it was finally TIME!
Ellie borrowed my phone to take a photo of the sunrise...
We arrived to a very quiet airport in Vienna with lots of space to work out extra energy.
On our big flight from Vienna to Chicago. These are the smiles of two passengers unaware that the in flight entertainment system would be largely inaccessible due to ear buds too big for children's ears... (lesson learned, headphones purchased for our summer road trips and return flight in October!)
We had a little misunderstanding and while we thought Reni's stroller was gate-checked in Albania, we actually did not get it returned to us until the very end. Until we could arranged assistance, Reni sat astride one of our rolling bags. Then, when we arrived in Chicago, we were blessed to have the assistant of this kind young woman. Given that we were all operating on way too few hours of sleep, it was so nice to just follow someone else through O'Hare, even though it's a very familiar airport.
There were a few delays before our last flight, so the kids requested to try Cool Ranch Doritos -- oh the fun of trying new things in America!
A tummy full of junk food combined with the fact that it was midnight Albania time, both kids conked out HARD.
We eventually reached Peoria and were so pleased to be greeted by BOTH sets of parents/grandparents and our nephew, Elisha.
The next morning we settled in a bit into our temporary digs at my parents' home, then we visited the new assisted living facility where both my Grandmother Whiteford and Grandpa Van Orman (and Marilyn) now live.
Grandpa ordered in lunch from a local restaurant and we visited and celebrated Nathan's birthday!
Our long day of travel to America had fallen on Nathan's birthday -- not exactly the most special way to celebrate...
It's good to be home!
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