I should be posting flower pictures from Hawai’i.
But upon arrival at check in yesterday ( a hellish six hours in which we missed our flight, or at least couldn’t board the plane, our hearts in our throats as the countdown ticked and we tried desperately to rectify the situation because our online visa application turned out to be fake – MTHRFCKRS!!!!!! )
: we instead returned home, ashen and defeated but still marginally hopeful that the subsequent visa for the US (can I tell you ? I HATE travel) would actually get us into the country.
So stressed we couldn’t speak.
Anyway.
-/
the cat was glad of an extra night together; we lightened our baggage this morning; and the juneberry blossoms in the front garden in the rain when we came out with our suitcases earlier gave a feeling of ambiguous calm.
We are now at the airport, having successfully gone through all the processes (one hopes ….), having a beer before boarding.
Hopefully the next flowers you see will be Hawaiian
The Black Narcissus 
Oh poor yous! Travel is hell!
Have a better departure and flight.
And a good arrival is wished for you.
🍀🍀🍀
Thanks N – supposedly boarding in five x
What a story; I can imagine the stress! I once was told I had to leave one of my children behind as her passport had an issue…a mad taxi rush from Gatwick to central London to the Canadian consulate with her while my husband dealt with the other two (tiny ones), and an 8-hour wait there with no drink or food….we made it off eventually, on a different flight. May you be amid the plumeria swiftly!
Thanks lovely.
O the hell !
Glad you liked some of the Celines x
Nooooo! That sounds horrifically stressful.
So glad to hear that things are running more smoothly now and I am SO excited to read about the whole trip.
Thanks H
Yesterday was not a good day
Oh no!!! I just had a similar situation last weekend trying to go to Paris, only I was denied boarding because my passport had a few days less than the required 90 days validity from what would be the date of departure from the EU. That trip was lost.
Glad to see your next post showing you made it this time. What a nerve wracking experience!
Oh my god your entire experience was lost? I am really sorry to hear it. What a total waste of time, nerves, and money!
It was extremely disappointing. Thankfully we got a full refund on the hotel. The budget airline refunded airport taxes but nothing else. Paris was supposedly piled up in over 10,000 tonnes of rubbish during those days, so maybe it’s not all bad that we didn’t go this time. We drove to New York for the weekend instead and that was a good trip. Passport renewal application was sent off as soon as we got back! Not making that mistake again.
Glad you found an alternative.
A heap of French garbage doesn’t sound all that attractive, so maybe you lucked out.
Definitely check passport next time. D did that before my book launch in London in 2019 and had to pay for a new flight – a real bureaucratic nightmare.
Ugh
Yikes.
Oh no, how absolutely horrible! I have the feeling—maybe completely misguided—that travel, long or short, is increasingly haphazard!
I left from Cologne to Berlin by train last Monday (4 1/2 hours trip) arriving with a delay of 2 hours. Now, I am sitting in the train back from B. to C. : three hours delay. That makes this inner-Germany train ride plus delay about as long as an intercontinental flight Europe – USA. Unfortunately, that is by no means the exception!
I arrived after a nine hour journey! That is the flight time Tokyo — San Francisco. (We‘re still talking 570 km trip Cologne — Berlin!)
otsukaresama deshita!
Travel has become hideous and undependable. Much as I loved this trip, we are cancelling another one to Oman we were considering. I just don’t think it is worth it all stress-wise in the end. We have been checking in four or five hours before the flight and that has seemed standard now. An endurance test!
Oh, so sorry for the nightmare travel. I am sure it will be worth it when you arrive at the other end
It was!
Ghastly experience. Hopefully all is well. I’ve had many similar experiences. They really shake you up and their effect is compounded over the years as they accumulate. I have a feeling your experience in Hawaii will make up for it and then some, my dear N.
Well, it was great overall, but I must admit and agree with you that the accumulative effect of all the STRESS of travelling makes you think twice about doing it. Quite glad to be back home actually.