On day 14 we traveled back to Oklahoma. Our flight left London Heathrow airport at 7:30 am so we started our day extremely early.
The Tube does not begin running until 5:30 am. We didn't think we would reach the airport in time if we took the Tube, but thankfully the Victoria station (close to our accommodations) also has a bus terminal. The previous day a nice worker at the bus terminal told us which bus stop and route we should take to reach Paddington station, where we caught the Heathrow Express to the airport.
It felt strange to leave our room which had begun to feel like home. Also, it's amazing how quiet, calm, and empty the streets of London are in the early morning. We caught our bus (I can finally say I have ridden a London double decker bus now) and had a relatively calm ride to Paddington.
The only negative aspect about the bus is that there was an area for luggage; however, when there are only two suitcases in that area they tend to roll around the bus at every turn, pause, and stop. Thankfully our suitcases didn't get too unruly and there was a nice gentleman on the bus, also on his way to Heathrow, who helped us keep them in check.
We made it to Paddington station, found the monitors, and waited for our gate number to appear for our Heathrow Express train ride. We boarded our train and a half hour later we arrived at the airport.
Even though tickets for the Heathrow Express train are a little more expensive, I think the ease of the train ride and the time saved are well worth the expense. Also, they have deals and sales on tickets. For example, we bought our tickets online ahead of time and booked the "duo saver." We paid £50 for our pair of return tickets saving £12 per person.
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| My completed hand stitched owl pillow cover. You can find it and others in my Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/SouthernRoseMary |
Thankfully, we made it from London to Chicago O'Hare without any incidents. Also, I had enough time to finish hand stitching my owl design on our flight from London to Chicago. You can find it and other designs in my Etsy store Southern RoseMary.
We had a three hour layover in Chicago which was perfect. I forgot how many steps there are to enter the USA! First we went through the area where they examine your passport and ask you questions about why you are entering the country. Then we collected our checked luggage. Finally we went through the American airport security. After going through British airport security, I am so thankful for the American system. It may be more in depth and take longer, but I felt much safer.
After security, we rode a train to our terminal. Then we discovered our gate, and waited to board. Our gate happened to be downstairs which was a little annoying because we had to maneuver our luggage down the stairs. However, it was much much less crowded and there was a Starbucks which offered us much needed nourishment after our long flight :)
We made it from Chicago to Oklahoma City without any problems, and the airlines did not loose our luggage. Hooray!! Our flight left London at 7:30 am and we landed in Oklahoma City at 3:00 pm. It was a long day of traveling with busses, trains, planes, and cars.
Our British adventure was fantastic! It was amazing to explore London and her surrounding towns, and to see how God protected us, provided for us, and brought people across our path during our journey. While I can't wait to visit London again, at the end of day 14 it was really nice to be home and sleep in my own bed :)
"It is God to whom and with whom we travel, and while He is the end of our journey, He is also at every stopping place." Elisabeth Elliot
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