Travel from hell

12/24 - I've had some bad travel experiences, like missing my flight back to London from Barcelona or breaking down in a car. But Tuesday was hands down the worst experience I've ever had traveling, or will ever have the rest of my life. Just think how you'd feel if you were forced to withstand the combination of cold weather, trains and buses in England, long walks through airports and 12 hours of flying, all while struggling through sickness.

Because I had a headache, a cough that made it worse, weakness and lack of energy I was generally angry on Tuesday, and I was saturated with negative thoughts. Here I'll give some examples.

-The flight from Heathrow was delayed 20 minutes. The pilot apologized to everyone over the loudspeaker.

"Oh, fuck off. You suck."

-An hour into the flight, over Ireland:

"I'm completely miserable. Can this flight just end? Can I jump out and hang glide back to America?"

-I was sitting next to a couple Asian women, who were talking:

"Shut the hell up. Your language isn't pretty."

-At customs in Chicago, where the officer asked me where I've been, I said I was at school, but I thought:

"None of your fucking business."

-Going through security again in Chicago, putting my hands up in that machine, taking my shoes off and getting frisked afterwards:

"You all are useless, power-tripping dickheads. Don't touch me. I've been flying for more than eight hours today. Don't fucking test me."

Add in the fact both my ears plugged up landing in Chicago so I felt like I was underwater, and this all added up to a delicious mixture of misery, annoyance, savage rudeness, aches and endurance. It was totally, completely awful; a real nightmare. But the most important thing I can take away is the fact the journey back across America and the pond to Europe will be far better because I've nearly recovered. I can also use that day as a frame of reference as to what rock bottom feels like while traveling. I made it through that, so anything else can and will be bearable.

12/27 - Christmas, in hindsight, was very mellow and relaxed. I was able to see an old friend and meet a new one in Sacramento. But four days home went by very quickly and now it's time to go back to the UK. This is the time of year for family, what Christmas should ultimately be about.

I'll be flying back completely healthy this time, and I'm looking forward to the flight. See you in England.