It's me, books and airplanes

Few weeks ago my dear friends Melisser and Ryan visited Europe for two weeks. While they were staying in Berlin, we enjoyed some beautiful days together with lots of food and walking.

After Ryan left towards home, Melisser and I headed to Stockholm. We were lucky to stay with new friends in their lovely flat and had an awesome time. Thinking about these days reminds me of two certain things: books from my childhood and me having problems with airplanes.

Let's start with the nicer memory. My parents are totally addcited to books. Their house is filled with hundreds and hundreds of novels, biographies, coffee-table books, travel guides, monographies, detective stories, architecture books, thriller and, of course, children's books. I was raised with so many differents stories, many of them I already forgot, but some will remain in my heart forever. While exploring Stockholm I couldn't resist to search for some of my favorite books. As expected is was not hard to find all the Astrid Lingren stories (Pippi Longstockings), especially the ones about my all-time favorite character Karlsson. But I was very happy and surprised when I saw the "The Big Mumin book" by Tove Jansson and even a swedish version of a Richard Scarry book. If you have children I really recommend these authors! Back in Germany I read a tweet about a movie coming out this year, which story is adapted by one of the most amazing books ever been written: "Where the Wild Things are" ("Wo die wilden Kerle wohnen"). I think this book is more famos in the States, but here in Germany it's kind of hard to meet people who know it. It was first released in the 1960's, so it was already twenty years old, when my parents discovered the book and started to read it to me and my brother. I am a bit afraid of the movie's quality, because it's hard two make a 1 1/2 hours movie out of a 385 words book. But otherwise I already love the trailer. The atmosphere, the cast, the music and of course the Wild Things are so good, I can't wait to go to the cinema!!!

The not so nice (but more exciting) part of this post is about the problems I seem to have with catching my flights.
It started last year in November, when I almost missed my flight from San Francisco to Berlin. I was really early at the airport and checked in about two hours before the departure. While walking around in the duty-free area, I did a little window shopping and ate some snacks. Then I found an express manicure/pedicure shop and the (almost) disaster began. For what reason ever I started to think that the departure time is when I should be at the airplane, not the time the plane actually wants to leave. So I was sitting in a massage chair, getting a manicure while they announced my flight over and over and over again, what I couldn't hear because of the music in the shop. Luckily something inside of me started to make me feel nervous, so I checked my papers again and finally realized my mistake. Gosh, I would have never thought I could run that fast with a big bag and my purse. The stewardesses literally shouted at me while I ran down the hall: "Come on, hurry up! Everyone is waiting just for you!" SO EMBARRASSING!
Sitting on my seat, I have never been so relieved in my whole life - not before or afterwards. Never before? Absolutely true! Never afterwards? Also true - until the 18th of March, when I lost almost every hope to catch my flight home from Stockholm.
Melisser and I started on time to the central station to get the airport bus. The schedule on the company's homepage said the busses leave every 20 minutes, but for some reason not on that day. So, when we found out we had to take the next one, we realized the bus would arrive at the airport the same time the check-in counter would close.That was the worst busride ever! I really tried not to think about missing the flight, but I was so nervous, I started feeling kind of sick inside. And then the bus even was behind the schedule! So we ran like hell into the building, found the check-in counter closed, ran to the next one, begged the people in the line to admit us and finally got the OK!

Please World, never again!