Remember when you used to be able to go to the airport with your spouse/lover/friend and wish them goodbye from the gate? I always enjoyed doing that, along with watching the plane depart and trying to get a last wave goodbye through the window if they were seated on the correct side of the plane. Well, last Saturday we got to go to the airport together, but we departed for different destinations, and it was NOT FUN this time. Kelly had made arrangements with her friend to go on a tour of Albania, Montenegro, and Croatia for 12 days, and I made plans to visit family in Santa Barbara. This was the first time we weren’t departing on the same plane to a fabulous destination, and we felt it pretty profoundly in the days leading up to our departure.
We spent our time in the lounge. We chatted about our fantastic dinner at the Metropolitan Grill the night before, shared champagne and chit chat about past and future travel exploits, and basically prepared to say goodbye. She would be 9 hours ahead of west coast time, so we planned on using WhatsApp in the mornings and evenings when possible to catch up on each other’s day (remember when you simply couldn’t call when you were abroad without spending a fortune?). Additionally, I would be able to follow along on Instagram (@addsomeglamour) and live vicariously through her.
It was a bittersweet goodbye, but it’s always exciting taking off for somewhere new, and I felt happy for her as her plane ascended into a gorgeous autumn sky.
My plane had a mechanical issue that took 2.5 hours to resolve, so I got to check her progress for FAR TOO LONG:
I flew Alaska Airlines to Burbank (upgraded!), picked up my rental car, and arrived in Santa Barbara just as Kelly was landing in Frankfurt. I think she got the better end of the bargain.
Santa Barbara was, as ever, beautiful. I spent a couple of days catching up with mom and dad (and their cats), my sister, grandmother and uncle, and chatted with Kelly morning and evening. I can’t wait to see what she posts next!
Add Some Glamour 