My status update said "I'm in Germany" Which gotalotof comments and I explained that I only had the room for the night. I immediately had an outpouring of help. People started researching commercial flights for me and sending memessages.
I then tongue firmly in cheek updated my status to "Anyone want to pick me up at Ramstein and drive me home?" I didn't think that actually had a snowballs chance in hell of working. I then got an instant message from my best friend here saying "You remember my friend, R, I bet he would do it" Jaw hit the floor. Not because I didn't think he wouldn't really do it, but because he might actually. I then reached out to R andhe to my disbelief got himself organized, bought a chunnel ticket and headed to Germany from the UK. The whole process of talking to him and him leaving took about two hours. In my hasty negotiations I may have told him I would drive some...completely forgetting that his van is a manual and I only drive manual poorly at best.
I went to sleep after talking to The Man who had arrived home and gave him a brief rundown of the situation. I barely slept a wink all night, mostly due to nerves (because I was sure that I was being punked and that R wouldn't really show up the next morning) and also because KiKi decided that 2 am was the perfect time to be completely awake and having a conversation with me.
At 8am my alarm went off and I got thekids out of bed and started getting them dressed for the day. I was still freaking out because I was sure that R was going to not show up. At 8:20 I got a text message from R saying that he would be to the base inan hour and I started breathing again. I didn't need to hold my breath anymore. The other shoe didn't drop.
R showed up at the main hotel just as I checked out; I loaded my things and children into his van and we hit the road. About an hour into the drive R asked me to take over driving. I brought up my driving issue but seeing as how R had driven all night to pick me up, frankly me only barely being able to drive a manual transmission actually seemed like the safer of the two options. He shifted as I did the clutch and gas and then I cruised along the autobahn at a respectable 85 mph (NO SPEED LIMITS BABY!!) (getting passed by Audi's and BMWs like I was standing still) for the next two hours until we reached Belgium. R was snoring away as I with glee announced "We're in BELGIUM!!" Which was of course met by KiKi with "I've got to pee!"
I coasted and then stalled the van out at the first rest stop I could find.
Belgian Rest Stop Cows
R, resumed driving when we left the rest stop and we continued through Belgium and ended up taking a detour though the center of Brussels.
Brussels, Belgium
Then we headed into France to Calais to take The Chunnel back to the UK.
Heading Down to The Chunnel Trains
Overall it took me 9 hours to make it back home. I had the help of some wonderful friends. I found an angel disguised as a tough New York Italian in R. I saw a "DiaperNinja"...
I also got to cross a few things off my bucket list.
I really would like to thank all of those who helped me get back home to my husband before his surgery. I could have never done it alone and I will never EVER under estimate the power of prayer and social networking again.
