Home again, home again...

Well, we must have been busy these last few weeks! I can't beleive there haven't been any posts. Sorry about that...

The Space Generation Congress went well, as did the International Astronautical Congress. It was a LOT of hard work, but with an amazing staff anything is possible. Pictures are starting to appear here and will be expanding as people have time to upload (like me!).

Jen and Jack came to get me from the airport on Monday night. I was SO HAPPY to see both of them! My luggage was lost--but that was expected. Here's the story of my trip home:

7am in Valencia. Karin is knocking at my door, asking if I am up and getting ready. I am not. I fell asleep before packing! YIKES! An hour and a half later, I am packed (I think) and heading out the door. There are boxes and posters and trash and stuff still all over the hostel, but I gotta go! Feeling the heft of my bags, I reach in and pull out a bottle of wine--a gift for one of the front desk staff (Spyro & Alex--don't fight! There's enough wine for both of you.) Into the cab and onto the airport... I get up to the counter and toss up bag #1: 20 kg (44lbs). Tagged and gone. Second bag: 30 kg (66labs!). Tagged and gone... no overweight fee!

10:10am in Valencia. Plane takes off, I am OUT like a light.

11:25am The plane lands in Madrid. I get out and look at the departures board for my flight to Chicago. The board reads "Chicago - 12:05 - Gate U65 - FINAL BOARDING". I run to the tram and glance at the extimated time sign: "U gates, 25 minutes". Not good. I continue to run from the tram through the airport.

11:50am I am rushed onto the plane by Iberia customer service staff. I made the plane! But if I just made it... I don't think about my luggage. I am going home. I don't need it! So I sit next to Mike, a nice business man from Arkansas, and enjoy the trip. All 9 hours. Food is good (chicken & rice w/peas) and I get some sleep. Movies are the best I've seen on a flight in a while: the Devil Wears Prada and the Breakup. Both are chick flicks, but good. Mike and I both watch.

9:30pm Valencia time / 3:30pm Eastern time we arrive in Chicago. My bags never come down the conveyor belt, so I am told to go ahead through customs and the bags will meet me in Orlando. (Riiiiight.) My father-in-law Tom is waiting at the airport. He drove all the way from Colgate, WI, to see me! It is nice to see a familiar, family face after a month abroad. We sit and talk about stuff for a few hours at O'Hare and then eat hotdogs. I cannot explain how good that chilidog tasted. Thank you, Tom! After the 5 hour layover, I head to Orlando.

5am Valencia time / 11pm Eastern time. After 19 hours of travel, I am almost home! Jen and Jack meet me at MCO (hooray!) but my luggage does not (boo!). We file the lost baggage claim and go home. I sleep like a ROCK.

And now, 7 days unti lI leave for New Mexico and the X PRIZE Cup! This will be the first big show for Sky Fire Lab since the NSS conference in May. Much to do! And still need to get stuff cleaned up from the trip to Spain.

Anyone know how to get some boxes from Spain back to the US??