Danube blessings

I can literally feel and hear the Danube river sloshing as I type this.

I hope I don't wake Abby, as we are in the same bed.

Anyway, after flying 11 hours -- and then another 2 -- today, I am thinking I might have a real issue with motion. I went on a cruise to Mexico in February, and had a full on anxiety attack on the boat because it was rocking so much.

Today, I let the man next to me on the plane know that I might grab his arm if I couldn't handle the turbulence on our short flight from Paris to Budapest.

In any case, let me tell you the positives of today.

#1, I SURVIVED the 11 hour flight from LA to Paris. Yay!

#2, I sat next to a South African on the flight. This makes me happy, because I've been to RSA.

#3, at dinner tonight on our cruise ship, not only were Abby and I in nearly matching outfits, we sat at a table with TWO MORE SOUTH AFRICANS.

And now, as I CRASH after being awake for approximately 30 hours, let me leave you with this. This is what I journaled on my 11 hour flight to Paris (I am a nervous flyer). A bientot:

"6.5.2016

5:49 a.m. Paris time

I am on a plane. Eek!

More than halfway there, though, I think………………..

I’m so excited to meet up with abby.

I miss alex. I mean, I don’t know if I actually miss him that much, but I just thought about him.

I’m sleepy, but I can’t really sleep on planes. I took a Benadryl, though, and had 2 glasses of wine, to calm myself down. It’s sort of working.

It’s weird, I don’t feel that drunk on planes.

I dropped max off last night with his sitter, he seems happy there but I got home and I kept instinctively looking for him, to say hi and whatnot.

Waiting for him to clear the edge of the bed, when he jumps on it.

Oh God, turbulence.

All right, switching from Bonnie Raitt to Taylor Swift. 1989 (the album, not the year) always makes me think of alex, and when we first started dating. Swoon.

My mouth is dry.

What concerts have I attended this year?

Bruce Springsteen

Tegan & Sara

Sam Beam & Jesca Hoop

That might be it, but there are more coming up:

Bonnie Raitt!!!!!

Brandi Carlile!

And hopefully, once she posts her LA tour date, Rachael Yamagata!!!!!

I just want to be on the ground in Paris. Then I’ll do a two hour flight to Budapest, easy peasy, and then I’ll get my bags, go through customs, and take the shuttle to the boat!!!!!

I hope Abby and I have a crazy reunion moment. I hope everyone on the boat loves us.

I hope there are fun crew members who I can crack running jokes with.

I’m sitting next to a South African on the plane – crazy. Of all the other international flights I’ve done, I flew to and from there!

Alex imitated an African accent today, and I genuinely didn’t know what he was trying to achieve because he sounded exactly like a muppet.

I have Fuller House burned to my desktop, I could watch episodes of it. just stupid, mindless TV.

I’m tired.

Stupid turbulence, scaring the pee out of me.

I managed to write like 200 words of my book, then I came over here to write this.

I’m going to Europe. Focus, bailey, focus.

I might just get on that boat and take a nap. But I have a feeling we’ll head to the bar, or get drinks delivered to our room. [We did got to the bar.]

Ahhhhh, it’s gonna be so great once I actually get there.

Why is it so easy to type 500 words when you’re just typing about yourself and your life? I guess I just answered my own question.

The toilet keeps flushing behind me and I’m like, “what?!” and then every time I realize it’s just the toilet. [I kept thinking the wheels were falling out of the plane, mid flight. I have problems.]

Carrie and I were talking about flying yesterday and I was laughing so hard I was crying. God love and bless her.

5 hours, 5 minutes left.

My flight attendant’s name is eric. I ordered “du vin, rouge” from him and he said I could live in Paris. I’ll take it.

It’s only 9:01 in LA, but that is bedtime for me.

You’ve got that james dean, daydream, look in your eye.

Oh taylor.

God love and bless her.

Someone just flushed the toilet. Aroused me (not THAT way) from my almost nap. This is why I can’t sleep on planes.

Well one of the reasons.

Every damn time that toilet flushes!

I’ve only peed twice and we’ve been on board for like 6 hours. That’s pretty good for me.

I keep getting the urge to text people or message them on facebook, to have some interaction to calm my nerves, but alas.

I want to be all curled up sleeping – cause I’d sleep easy for like 3, 4 hours now, but I don’t think I can. My nerves are too high. My eyes are burning.

Maybe I should pray for other people, to take the focus off me"

Good night! Tomorrow? Budapest adventures abound!!!!! Count your blessings, folks! I don't care if you're not somewhere exotic, you are BLESSED in some way, so count it! (Trust me, I wasn't always a world traveler like this, I used to sit around and mope and be jealous of people in Europe. Then I started to appreciate what was in front of me an d additional blessings fell in my lap.)