Home for the holidays

The last few days in Tirana were very hectic. As usual, the meetings I wish could take place soon after my arrival always get postponed (procrastination is exercised a lot in Europe!), and I invariably find myself scrambling to squeeze in a lot at the end of every trip.

I experienced the same situation in Italy, also last month, during my brief stay there. Contacts do not promptly return calls for appointments, and they are surprised when I inform them that I may not have extra time for our meetings, which I try to book as much as possible way ahead of my departure from the States.

The first flight out of Tirana for Milan, Italy, is at 5:45am. I was able to just rest 2 hours before heading for the airport at 3:45am. I knew it was going to be a long, long day to get home, due to Delta airline changes for the transatlantic crossing. The direct flight from Milan to JFK that usually takes 8 ½ hours was suppressed on the day of my return and I was rerouted through Atlanta, where I had to spend another 5 hours for the flight to New York, also delayed because of the Thanksgiving weekend heavy traffic. Bottom line: with the time difference from Europe, I was on the go for a full 24 hours!

Due to the above changes, my luggage was also affected. It could not be checked all the way to destination, and I had to recheck it also in Atlanta, which became the entry point in the U.S. and where I had to go through passport control. Thank goodness for the comfort of the business lounges during my lay over in Milan and Atlanta, where I could grab some food and drinks, and make some phone calls, although I felt quite sleepy!

Found New York extremely chilly and windy, but the ride into the city was swift due to the light traffic – it was midnight after all! A few good hours of sleep were finally a blessing, and by 1pm I was able to join some friends, who were expecting me for the traditional holiday dinner on Thanksgiving day.