Our Amazing Race! Episode 1

I have watched The Amazing Race since it first aired in 2001.  I love the show and have always wanted to be on it. My guy told me early on in our relationship that he would never even consider being on the show, but has taken to watching it with me. We often cheer on the same teams and make fun of the couples who fight.  We laugh because we know that if we were on the show that is what we would be like.  We are good together and for each other; but ugh sometimes we just can't communicate well.  We work at it, but I often think it will be a life long effort.

We embarked this month however on our own Amazing Race!  And boy did it start off just like the show I love.  Whenever we travel we seem to get into an argument before we even leave our house. I was so happy when we not only left on time, but without argument. For a number of reasons my attempts to get money out of our bank accounts had failed all week, so first stop the bank. On the way we passed a restaurant that we've been meaning to try. My guy suggests that we stop there; I was hesitant and felt we should get to the airport first, but he persisted.  Fortunately, service and food was fast and we were soon on our way.

As we neared the airport, I began to rely more on my maps from my iPhone to lead me to the shuttle where I had reserved parking.  We've used it before and I was pretty certain how to get there, but wanted to be safe. I had put the address into the phone at the restaurant.  We soon realized it was taking us beyond our familiar location.  I felt the panic setting into my stomach as we drove further and further from the airport. I also realized I forgot to print the reservation before we left. At a red light (one of many which were also stressing me out) I pulled up the email and to my dismay it said that we needed a printed copy!  More panic.  My guy suggested we turn around and return to our usual shuttle, but I knew that wasn't right. Finally we arrived at the location; just as the shuttle pulled out and headed in the opposite direction. Toward. The. Airport.  At this point I was completely freaking out as we were loosing more and more time that we needed at the airport.

We went in and learned this was the place that had our reservation, but there is only one shuttle and we'd have to wait for his return. Stomach completely sinks. Freeze frame. Scene - distressed racers gaze hopelessly down the road. Cut to commercial.

Finally the shuttle arrives and takes us to the airport. We have him drop us off at Delta and enter to print our boarding passes. Another roadblock.  The kiosk says it can't process our request and to see an attendant.  I quickly find a woman and tell her what happened at the kiosk. I tell here we're going to Prague via Paris; she kindly removes the ropes and puts us in line. We wait. More precious minutes ticking away. The group in front of us is speaking French; one of the girls is crying at the ticket counter.  We wait and wait. 20 minutes and finally someone takes us.  We hand her our passports and she asks, "Where are you going?" "Paris."  "Direct?"  "No; Paris to Prague."  "You're in the wrong terminal. You need to be in Terminal E. That's not near here; you need to hurry. You have to check in within an hour of your flight or they won't let you on."  "Can you call them?" No and even if I could it wouldn't matter. They are very strict."

The race resumes. Frantically we start to run, struggling with our luggage (at least the real racers have backpacks!). My guy is way ahead of me and I'm struggling to keep up and to handle my bags (regretting tremendously the months I've blown off the gym). At the top of an escalator I'm about to collapse. I need help. I yell to him to wait.  "Why?"  "I need help!"  "What do you want me to do?"  "Help me!!!"  He keeps going. (This is the scene where we'd be laughing. Oh but I wasn't laughing!)  Finally we arrive at Air France and learn we are okay.  They check us in; take our bags; give us our boarding passes.  Finally all is well.  Or is it?

We manage to get through security and to the gate before boarding. Just 8 minutes to spare. We board and OMG!  The most uncomfortable plane I've ever been on. We settle in for the overnight flight.  6-1/2 hours later we land in Paris. The race resumes.

Two roadblocks this time. First the US line versus the rest of the world line at customs. Guess which line wasn't moving? Yup the US line.  Then we get to security. Guess who gets selected for random screening? Yup that would be me.  Time is ticking.  We're stressed out. Finally we get to the gate. The plane has been boarding for a bit, so we get on and find our seats. At least this flight will be short.

Finally we're in Prague!  The pit stop is just ahead. Our driver is waiting for us and he whisks us off to the hotel. We arrive!  Tired, grimmy, grumpy, hungry.  We can't wait to shower and eat. Oh but wait. Four Hour Penalty!  We can't check you in until 2:00.  We went for some food, walked a little and then collapsed at a Starbucks.  We tried to check in again at 12 and 1, but until exactly 2:00 we could not check into the hotel. We were so frustrated.  Finally we made it to our room and collapsed. We prayed that was the end of our Amazing Race experience.

In Memory

With just a week before leaving for the Czech Republic the phone rang. It was early in the morning, I hadn't even woken.  My iPhone showed that it was my mom. Never a good sign at that hour. She isn't one to call often and when she calls at that hour someone has usually passed. That was the case, but it wasn't who I would have expected. It was my grandmother. Although she was 95 and had Alzheimer's for well over a decade, she was otherwise healthy.  She died peacefully in her sleep, but the shock was still there.

Grandma was one of seven. I seem to remember hearing that her mother also lost a child; I believe a miscarriage.  Her sisters all have lived well into their 90s.  All are still alive. Her brothers, and her father, passed at young ages. Grandma didn't have any wrinkles. Seriously. 95 and her face was so smooth. My mom too is wrinkle free. These are not women who have lived pampered lives. Quite the opposite. They both had hard lives. Lives full of adversity. But you would never know it to look at them. I have their skin too. I wonder will I also be wrinkle free into my 90s? Will I live to my 90s? And of course with just days until our ET, I wonder what will my child(ren) be like? I know my DNA won't be present, so I know that I can't compare, but I still wonder.  I could list the characteristics, but as I looked around the funeral home at my family and extended family I knew that the DNA wasn't what bound us all together it was love and shared experiences.  I hadn't seen some cousins in 10 or 20 years, but we know each other, we're family and we just picked up where we left off.  My child(ren) will be family too.

There was a moment where I cringed. My cousins adopted three years ago.  A beautiful blue-eyed, blond haired adorable boy.  As my cousin walked by, holding her son in her arms, I heard someone behind me whisper to her husband "Can you believe how much he looks like her?  And he's adopted!" Oh how I need to prepare myself for these moments. I guess this is something all parents who conceive with donor gametes need to learn, just as all parents of adopted children need to.

But what I keep coming back to is the cycle of life. It truly seems that every time someone passes there is either a pregnancy announcement or a birth soon thereafter.  Is this announcement going to be mine? I think about Grandma watching over us as we travel half-way around the world for the opportunity to be parents.  Maybe her passing was meant for this time, just in time for us to send her off to a better place and then for her to protect us and insure a successful transfer and pregnancy.  My cousin and my grandmother's nephew, both who live far and don't make it back home often, were also both already in town, another coincidence perhaps, but definitely reassuring that they were able to also be with family during this time.  I'm a firm believer in things happening for a reason and I want to believe that Grandma passed now for a reason.

I love you Grandma. Although mentally you left us a long time ago, you were still here and that brought me comfort. But now you are gone and it hurts, but you are in a better place, hand in hand with Grandpa, with your brothers, your parents, your daughter.  I miss you but know that you will always be with me, with us.  I hope you enjoy your trip to Prague and Brno!  See you there!