Pages from my travelogue

How many of you have visited or heard of Mission Viejo? I did, 10 years back, and am reminded of it now when I browse through my travelogue. Bangalore The first page takes me back to Bangalore airport. I was to take a flight to Chennai. I had completed check-in, security check and was waiting at the departure gate. Saw people leaving for various flights – but did not see the departure announcement for my flight. After waiting for almost an hour, I found myself as alone as the kid Kevin in the Home Alone movie. Was shocked to hear my name being announced – “this is the final call for passenger Usha travelling to Chennai”… The realization hit me like a bucket of cold water! I rushed to the gate as fast as an Olympic runner! I flip the page of my travelogue – the scene takes me to Malaysia. From Chennai I was to travel to Los Angeles with a stopover at Malaysia. Malaysia On reaching Malaysia and experiencing the maze of elevators at the airport, I checked into a hotel. Very exhausted, I set the alarm and fell into deep slumber like Sleeping Beauty. I dreamt about missing the flight, and awoke with a start. Not to worry; I had plenty of time. I was not to miss a flight yet. The rest of my journey till LA and the hotel was quite uneventful. So I move to the next page of my travel diary. First day at Mission Viejo The first day at work – I took a cab which dropped me in office in 15 minutes. So I thought – let me walk down in the evening and pick up some groceries on the way. I started walking. I walked on and on and on for one hour….like an Energizer battery. However By the time I reached the store, my energy was all gone. Luckily I met an Indian family from Orissa, started talking to them and told them my story. This friendship was good for me – because they dropped me at the hotel and also invited me for dinner the next day! My travelogue next talks about my journey to Atlanta one long weekend. Atlanta It was my birthday and I was to catch a flight to Atlanta on Fri evening. My friend came over to drop me at Los Angeles airport. Oh bother! The highway was jammed and vehicles moved at snail’s pace. I realized then – that a jam is a jam is a jam – whether in India or the US, we feel the same pain! Finally reached the airport missed the flight by a whisker. A whisker - because the pilots were also caught in the jam and the flight was delayed. Whew! Somehow managed to catch the next flight, landed in Atlanta airport at 6 am and called my cousin. She picked up the phone, and asked “where are you”? I said, “Atlanta airport. Where are you?”. I heard her swearing “Oh my God!”….and rushing out from her home…guess she had set too early an alarm time, heard it, had switched it off and gone back to sleep! So….this was how I came, I saw and I experienced the USA…the memory is still as sweet as honey to me!