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| Gryffindor's newest member |
The morning started off pretty rough, as Ali woke up feeling
weak and light-headed from dehydration and probably exhaustion. We met our
driver in front of the hotel at 9:30 and were soon at the airport, through
security, and sitting at our gate to assess Ali’s situation. I bought her Gatorade
and saltine crackers, and almost immediately she began feeling better. We were
both tired, missing our family, and our day of traveling could not be over fast
enough.
Our flight into Minneapolis was smooth and Ali’s condition kept
improving until she was back to normal. Each seat-back was equipped with a
screen offering free in-flight entertainment, so Ali watched Guardians of the
Galaxy and I watched The Descendants. Let me tell you, a film about a mother
dying and the family having telling her goodbye in the midst of their
dysfunction is not a good choice for an in-flight movie. I was bawling as other
passengers made their way to the back of the plane to use the restroom and as
the flight attendants were coming by with the beverage cart, each of them glancing down at me with a slightly concerned expression. I think next time
I’ll stick to comedies.
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| Ms. Pac-Man: the best game in the history of video games |
In Minneapolis, Ali and I had a two-hour layover, so
we explored the airport a bit. The first thing we found was a small arcade with
a majestic Ms. Pac-Man game that I played while Ali played Spider-Man pinball.
We had a lot of fun in the little bathroom-sized arcade and then we moved on to
check out the airport mall. It was pretty incredible considering it was inside
an airport, and there was something there for everyone. For instance,
a man in a tuxedo played classical music on a grand piano in front of a Harley
Davidson store while a big statue of Snoopy stood nearby. In one concourse,
every table had an iPad with free Wi-Fi available for anyone to use.
Finally, we boarded our flight to Seattle. Ali was impatient
to get home and see our cat Tootsie. She took out her phone and opened a
“Tootsie” folder, and then made me look at the photos while she described Tootsie’s
emotion in each one. In a voice similar to Snow White’s, Ali gasped as she looked at each picture and exclaimed: "Curious...Wonder...Frightened...Worried!” Interestingly, that
was the same range of emotions I experienced as I looked at Ali’s cherished cat
photos.
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| Yet another round of looking at Tootsie pictures |
Our flight was over quickly, and as we descended the
escalator to the baggage claim level, my mom and Leah were waiting for us. They
hugged us as if we’d just returned from a trip to the moon, and it felt wonderful
to be home.
Universal Studios and Islands of Adventure are okay parks,
but The Wizarding World of Harry Potter is beyond compare. I suggest you start
saving your money now, because Hogwarts and Hogsmeade are coming to Universal
Studios in Hollywood next year. Not Diagon Alley, which is truly disappointing,
but trust me, you do not want to miss out on the magic.
Coming home to the rain and my blooming rhododendrons, and walking
through my beautiful home that Chad had cleaned while we were away, I experienced
a feeling of elation. Ali and I were blessed to have had this experience together, but there is nothing like being at home with Chad and
my babies. Ali handed out the bags of souvenirs and I tried to use her wand to unpack our luggage, but apparently it
doesn’t work in the real world. What a scam.
Our vacation ended exactly like the Harry Potter series did, and J.K. Rowling said it perfectly:
“All was well.”
- Rachel
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