The Hardest Day (Parting Is Such Sweet Sorrow)
Well, the day had finally arrived. I had to say goodbye to my beautiful big boy and leave him on the other side of the world. I’d been dreading this day since we found out about the scholarship almost 2 years ago.
I was quick off the mark once the trusty alarm chimed out at 5am while Sam lingered a little longer in between the sheets and needed a couple more shakes and prods before he rose to a vertical position. None (not ONE) of the showers we’ve had on our trip across America has had adjustable pressure. It’s either on, or off. We’ve learnt to cope with this issue (a first world problem if ever there was one) but the Winfield motel’s shower had to take the cake. We finished on a low note. It sprays the finest mist, running around to get wet isn’t even enough! It was a shocker! Just thought I’d share that.
Speaking of shockers, that’s actually the name of the Wichita State basketball team – The Shockers! I reckon I might have a shot on that team! Let’s hope they’re better than their name suggests!
Sam and I were both pretty emotional this morning and I visited Southwestern one more time with him, bringing the remainder of all his stuff to the dorm. It was still only 6am when I dropped him off so the plan was for him to have a bit more of a snooze in his new bed. Being the navigational genius that he is, he mapped out the route I had to take back to Wichita and wrote directions out for me on a piece of paper. Legend! We had one more huge hug with a bit of a tear (understatement) and then I drove off, waving frantically out of the convertible roof as I turned the corner. Its just so hard to describe how hard it is leave him here. I know he’s a grown man now and there comes a time to let go but gosh it’s hard! I am just so immensely proud of the gorgeous man he’s become (as is Rossco) and I know he’ll be fine standing on his own very capable two feet. I’ve loved every minute of our time together these last few weeks and will ways cherish that precious time. I left Sam with the words “don’t do anything I wouldn’t do” and then we both laughed and agreed that may be a tad limiting!
The sun hadn’t yet risen and I saw a flash of lightning on the horizon. Sam had warned me that the car had to be in DRIVE (actually PARK) before I could put the roof down. That was a good tip! I had visions of driving down the Interstate, rain drenching the Mustang’s pristine interior (not to mention yours truly), me not able to pullover and re-roof!
I took the opportunity to pull over and watched the roof descend back down over my head before continuing along the highway, airport bound. Even though I had the roof on, the car got drenched anyway as the deluge of tears I’d been holding back came flooding out with a vengeance! I was blowing my nose and spluttering away, soggy tissues piling up on my lap! It was actually quite therapeutic to let it all out!
In the pre-dawn darkness, the lightning strikes were electrifying the sky and by the loudness and speed of the thunder, I was driving straight into the eye of the storm! The lightning was SO bright and with each iridescent zig-zag and ear-splitting crack, it felt like it was getting closer. Out there on this long, straight, dark country road, flat plains stretching out on my left and right – literally the only car for miles around, in the middle of this doozy of an electrical storm, I was feeling mighty small and vulnerable indeed. Then it started to rain. Then it started to pour. Soon it was raining so hard, I couldn’t see more than a metre in front of me! The barrage of lightning strikes were relentless and to be honest, I was pretty scared. Because visibility was so shocking, I started to second guess whether I may have missed the turn off. There were no signs for miles and not even a cross street where I could pull over and ask someone. I pulled into the driveway of a farmhouse, the rain still pouring down! Sam had made me promise to call him if I needed directions so I tried calling Sam but I couldn’t get through. I dialled Ross’ number and was so relieved to hear his voice! He came to my rescue and we were able to work out I was on the right track! I sighed a gargantuan sigh of relief, thanking God profusely for rescuing me once again! I seriously thought I was going to be struck by lightning!
On my way again, the rain began to clear and I looked to the east to see the most incredible sunrise! More confirmation I was being looked after! As I was motoring along the freeway, I noticed a police car at the side of the road, obviously having just pulled someone over. He was off the right-hand side of the road on the shoulder, and I was driving along in the right lane of the dual-carriageway freeway. The next thing I knew, the “State Trooper” was back in his pick-up truck, sirens flashing, on my tail! I knew for certain I wasn’t speeding and even though you can be fined here for doing under a minimum speed, I was definitely above that. What had I done wrong? Was he punishing me for having a hot car?? I thought I must have been in the way of him chasing someone else so I pulled over. To my utter surprise, so did he! Right behind me! What the? I got out of the car and the policeman, looking important in his moustache and Smokey The Bear wide-brimmed hat, promptly told me to get back in. He took my licence and then disappeared for ages into his ute. He’d put the fear of death into me so I didn’t dare step out and ask him what I’d done. I was still in the dark though! Still a bit of a mess about leaving Sam, still sobbing on and off, he must’ve seriously thought I was a basket case! He finally returned to inform me that “in the yoo-nited states it is a federal offence (“federal” makes it sound so much worse!) to not scoot over (he actually used the word “scoot”) when an ee-mer-gancee vee-hickle is stopped on the shoulder, ma’am.” Well how was I supposed to know that? I told him I wasn’t aware of that rule and that it isn’t law in Australia. He was perplexed at all my whimpering so I volunteered the information that I’d just farewelled my son and was traveling back to Australia today; obviously not feeling on top of the world. He looked me in the eye and asked what college Sam was studying at. Then he said “Sarah, that’s a fine College and he’ll be fine but right now you need to get yourself under control. Driving when you’re this eem-oh-shonnal is unsafe!” He may have had a point but failed to realise he was a major contributor here. He handed me a piece of paper and returned to his “vee-hickle”, slugging me with a $350 fine! I’d hoped for a warning but there was obviously not a sympathetic bone in his body. I was fined for failure to scoot.
Miraculously, I arrived at Wichita airport, kissed the Mustang goodbye and checked in. What a morning!!
My flight to Denver, the first leg of my 3 part epic journey home (4th if you count that harrowing drive!) went pretty fast. I was in the very back row of the plane and swear I was sitting next to Taylor Swift! She very much kept to herself and then pulled the hood of her hoodie right over her head like she was in disguise! I was looking like a twit in my sunglasses (trying to hide my puffy eyes) – a bit of an emotional wreck – so I didn’t feel up to introducing myself. How exciting if it was her!
The wait at Denver Airport was punishing! I initially had 4 and a half hours to kill but then my plane was delayed 3 hours and that became 7 and a half hours! I became well-acquainted with the airport I can tell you! My buddies at Gate B42 were getting pretty restless too. I had a browse in all the shops and looking around at the many stuffed heads furnishing the walls, remembered I was back in the taxidermy capital of America, Colorado! I read my book and a magazine from cover to cover but it was a long day!
At long last, after we’d all but given up hope, a plane, clearly visible through the floor to ceiling windows, taxied to a halt outside Gate B42! Yes! My connecting flight to Sydney from San Francisco was boarding at 9:25pm and this plane was due to arrive at 9:15. This flight was going to be tight alright. The flight attendants moved me a few rows forward and let me get off first (much to the dislike of most of my fellow passengers) after we touched down in the shadow of the Golden Gate. I think I spent all of 15 minutes in the city by the bay and for most of that I was sprinting, which is not conducive to sight-seeing. I made it by the skin of my proverbials and the door was shut tight behind me. Now that was close!
The final leg is the biggy – 14 and a half hours squished up in a seat, trying to stay warm (Arctic World; where you get to experience just what it’s like to be a polar bear in the wild! Proudly brought to you by United Airlines) and trying to get as much sleep as possible (the first 2 factors greatly affecting the possibility and outcome of the third!)
I somehow managed to get about 4 hours sleep but dribbled profusely all over my pillow which was a bit uncomfortable for subsequent sleep attempts. I do love a window seat at the best of times but, on a long haul flight, there’s nothing more awkward than when the 2 big, long-legged guys that you are sitting next to are completely dead to the world and you need to go to the “lavatory” (as they call it on the plane). What do you do? The guy next to me slept for hours! He must have had some sort of chemical assistance because he was not budging! I almost took his pulse at one stage! I waited and waited until I could no longer wait and then I had to do something. I nudged the aisle guy and once he got up I was getting ready to launch into a seat jump to avoid waking Sleeping Beauty. Just as I had one leg on the chair and one leg in the air, he awoke to find me hovering over him! Awkward! He blinked until he could see slightly, through his chemical haze, and then rose to let me out. I felt so guilty! I then had a mammoth wait to get into the cubicle (no one can tell me they haven’t stood outside the plane toilet, cross-legged, dancing on the spot to stave off the pending flood, looking at the OCCUPIED sign for an unnatural length of time and wondered “what the heck are they doing in there?”)
The movie selection was not fabulous and I found myself starting a few and then thinking “nah, I’m not in the mood for this”. One movie I did watch, The Secret, was a bit dark, both in storyline and in the fact it was set in the 1800s and they just didn’t have many lights back then. Add to that, that most of the action took place at night and you have quite a squint to see it at all!
Having been in America for almost 6 weeks now, there are definitely things I’m going to miss about being here and things I’m definitely not going to miss. I’ll miss the self-flushing toilets and never-ending soda fountains. I won’t miss having to tip so often and so much! I’ll miss being called ma’am all the time but not the fact that I have to say everything at least 2 or 3 times slowly in order to be understood! I’ve become so used to side dishes now, a meal on one lonely plate will seem tiny and I’ll have to readjust to entering the roundabout from the left! So now I’m coming home and I can’t wait to see everyone! Flushing my own toilet is a small price to pay! I’ve missed Ross, Molly, Toby and Maisy terribly these past weeks and can’t wait to see them! I’m incredibly grateful for the chance I’ve had to experience this beautiful and varied part of God’s creation. We’ve seen everything from 14,000 foot mountains, forests, parks, beaches, big cities, country towns, farms, plantations, sweeping plains, street jazz, paddle steamers, raging rapids, natural springs, massive rocks, wildlife and gushing waterfalls (and of course, Disney World)! What a privilege!
It’ll just take us all a bit of time to adjust to not having Sam around. What are we all going to do without him? He’s our IT fix it man, a brilliant companion, a great conversationist, a shoulder to cry on, someone to play FIFA with, to wrestle with, to be carried around by, to talk with about anything sport, to introduce us to new music (not all of it necessarily good!), someone to have a jam with, to pick you up from music lessons, to be the logical, practical one in a situation, someone to make you laugh or teach you something you didn’t know. We’ll miss him SO much but know he’ll be richer for having taken up this opportunity and having had this experience (& we’ll be counting down the days till he comes back at Christmas!)
Thanks for reading along with us. It’s been great to share these past few weeks and all these experiences with everyone!
