Thursday, June 27
We left BoA just before 9:30 and when we got to Heathrow at 11:15 we probably had less than a gallon still left in the gas tank. This worked out fine with the gasoline refill option that I had chosen but I was getting a bit anxious about having enough gas to get there. The shuttle got us to Terminal 1 quickly and after checking our baggage we hit the duty free shop for some Pimms and Bailey’s to take home. We actually discovered when we got home that they both are cheaper back in the states.
We got to the gate 45 minutes before the scheduled boarding and took seats in what started out as a quiet spot. But after a while a group with at least a dozen teenage boys arrived and it was a relief to finally board and not find them seated anywhere near us, although we managed to get right behind them during the hour it later took to get through customs at SFO. I have to respect their chaperones' patience; I could never tolerate so many teenagers for even one day.
We found that, unlike the flight over, we had a wealth of free entertainment options including the first episode of Season 3 of Game of Thrones. But after a few hours the ten hour flight began to drag on and on and my eyes were too bleary to do any reading.
Eventually we did reach SFO where we had a three hour layover, but after an hour spent getting through customs and another half hour going back through security again it didn’t seem like we had all that long to wait for our short flight to Sacramento. Once airborne on the 30 seat turbo prop it took less than 25 minutes before we landed. We found that our luggage was almost immediately available and Jack was curbside about five minute later and he got us home just before 9:30.
Our cats had been on our minds for the past 15 days but they were fine thanks to the excellent care they received from our next door neighbors. It took the next three days for me to get rested, although this was partly because it was so hard to sleep that first night with the cats so excited about us being back.
This vacation was an excellent adventure but it also made me recognize the hobbit inside of me who really likes to be home. I no longer feel the urge to travel very far -- at least not until next year.
