My Very "Amazing Race" Experience Through Munich

Here we go...

When you fly out of Europe early in the morning en route for the USofA, it is advised to stay up the night so the jet leg will be reduced...and that is exactly what Thuli and I did in the Milan airport. After a crazy car ride down there (tight, with all 5 of my bags...apologies!), we decided to lay low and watch a few movies. Nothing says "Pull an All-Nighter" like "Rocky Horror Picture Show" and "Shanghi Knights"... After a few much needed espressos, it was off to Munich, where we had what could have been the shortest 40 minute layover EVER...

...first, though, let me back track a bit. I know from my years of Amazing Race watching that if you have a very short connection, the only way to guarentee yourself some hope of catching the plane is to befriend the flight staff, trying to get any assistance, be it distance to your next gate, or even some seats closer to the front of the plane. So, I put this knowledge to use, and asked the woman behind the counter about how far our departure gate in Munich was from where we were landing. The only piece of information she could help us with was "Most 5 minutes...trust me, you will make it"...famous last words...

Throughout the short hour+ flight to Germany, Thuli and I were on pins and needles. It was a small plane (a VERY small plane), so we could dash off quickly and make that "5 minute" journey with time to spare...that was the thought anyways...until we realized that we were getting dropped off in the middle of the tarmac and had to wait for the entire plane to empty onto the charter busses that would take us to the building. There goes 10 minutes...

The bus stopped at Terminal G, and according to the tickets, we were taking off from Terminal H. One terminal over, thats close...right? Wrong...Enter two gates on completely opposite sides of the airport...Start "Amazing Race Jog" now (For those who are not familar, this is a slower pased jog through airports done so because of heavy backpack). Following the signs, with only 15 minutes to go, we turn a corner and find...you guessed it...a passport check!!! Didn't we just get off of an international flight en route to yet another international flight? Someone, please explain!

We got out of there with about 7 minutes until our plane was supposed to take off. At this point, we had the entire Terminal H to jog down...Enter the second passport check (seriously...you can't even make this stuff up...). This was done by our airlines. Why? Still, no clue...Just when we thought we were scott free and ready to run onto the plane, out bad luck streak continued. What's left after a bus ride and two passport checks? Oh, I know...security!!!

Literally, we could see our gate not 15 steps past this final impediment. We each hopped in separate lines, and Thuli got through pretty quickly. Thinking that I had already gone through and left her at the security, she boarded. Unfortunately, I had not...I was stuck behind Mr. "You Mean I Can't Take a Bottle of Shaving Cream on the Plane?"...time to switch lines! But my streak continued, this time behind the " 'Why is it Beeping?'...'Sir, You Didn't Take Your Wallet Out or Your Belt Off' " man...HONESTLY!??!

When you keep hearing the "Final Boarding for Flight xxx to Chicago" and you are stuck behind people, thoughts of just sprinting through the metal detectors, knocking over who or whatever is in your way enter your mind...especially when you haven't seen the family and friends in over 4 months...but, all ideas escaped my head when I was able to go through the security and finally able to get on the plane. WE MADE IT!!!

Phew...that was a long story...I hope the rest off of that list aren't this length...I DO have some studying to do every once in a while!