So it was like this: I sat in the Tampa airport last Thursday for 3 hours, then caught my flight to Philadelphia. The time passed easily as I was able to get online using free wi-fi connection and I got a call from my buddy Mulder over in Israel. The flight was a little late taking off so I had to *sprint* to catch the connecting flight back to Toronto. I was dreading catching this particular flight because I knew the weather back home was unsavoury and it was going to be a rough ride through the storm (what an understatement that turned out to be).

Upon boarding the small 50 seat plane I realized my seat was at the back. The VERY back. By the toilet. I sat down and immediately befriended a nice guy who had the seat beside me. We laughed and chatted the whole time and I had warned him at the start that I was a nervous flyer, that the flight down had been horrible and the flight back was going to be through a storm. He was sweetly reassuring and did his best to keep me talking and to keep things light. He would later tell me that he thought I was joking when I started freaking out, right up until my claws dug into his legs. He then realized I wasn't joking. (maybe I should stop using humour to deflect from my level of discomfort or fright?)

The turbulence was, in fact, even worse than I thought it was going to be. I was absolutely green around the gills by the time we landed and I wasn't the only one. I honestly did believe we were going to die thanks to some of the most stomach turning drops I have ever experienced in a plane and the visible ice build up on the wings. When I talked to the pilot while getting off the plane I told him of my sheer terror to which he looked stunned and said that he didn't think it was that bad. He knows not how close he came to dying right then.

To ensure the level of fun continued I then had to drive home in the storm. It was sort of a icy rain, occasionally hail, kind of storm. There was lightning as well, something I can't say I've seen too often this time of year. At one point the storm had kicked it up a notch and I couldn't see much beyond the hood of my car. Myself, as well as all the cars in front of me, slowed to nearly a crawl to try and make it through in one piece. The rain had a way of coming in waves and during one of the 2 second breaks I finally saw where the dividing line was on the road and I came to realize I was on the very wrong side of it and was heading into oncoming traffic.

Is it any wonder that after all that I got a sinus infection the next day? I think not. But ya know what? The strangest thing *did* happen to me while I was in Florida..... I found myself missing Israel again. A lot. I thought I had "gotten it out of my system" but I guess not. I also thought my less than stellar experience with Livnot had completely ruined Israel for me, but I find that old feeling creeping back again. That "I gotta get over there again" feeling. I think it was the warm air, open bars/patios and palm trees..... it made me yearn to be back in the Holy Land again. *sigh* Maybe in 2007 when I get my 3 weeks vacation. And if Mulder is willing to let me sleep on his couch again. lol!

Anyway, for more pics head over to my photoblog.