Saturday morning I logged onto my tablet in the Domodedovo Airport in Moscow. There were a couple of urgent Facebook messages from a couple of close friends. When I read them I felt like I had been punched in the stomach. A very close friend, a former bartender in my Dingo Bar, a fantastic journalist, a wonderful fellow, had died suddenly on Thursday evening. My friend Michael Henningsen was gone. Russians got one more chance to stare at me---as I could not stop the tears. The next 15-20 hours were a daze and I still don't feel very good about things. Losing people is getting harder and harder for me.
I arrived home Saturday evening from Russia. Plane landed at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia at around 8pm. There were four immigration agents for about 700 people. Stood in line for almost two hours. Non-US citizens were in a line that didn't move----in fact agents kept putting American citizens in front of them from time to time. Nice. American hospitality.I would imagine that if you are a politician, you don't need to do this.
I experienced Russian and German security as I began this journey and as I ended it. Seemed to be more efficient. My exiting agent in the Moscow airport, a young woman, at one point sternly said..."look me in the eyes..." We did this for about a minute. She then smiled and waved me through.
The young agent here in Dulles was kind and friendly as well.Laughed when I showed him a US customs form in German(all they had on my United flight). These people don't do the budgets or scheduling and I would never disparage them.
I saw Janet as I left the immigration area and we jumped into each others arms.
I don't hear any Russian. Seems like something is missing. American voices sound strange.
My dogs, Thurman and Pepper, almost wriggled out of their skin when they saw me. I've been wondering what they were thinking when I was gone.
I am feeling like going to sleep every other hour. Waking up every hour or so at night.
I arrived home Saturday evening from Russia. Plane landed at Dulles International Airport in Northern Virginia at around 8pm. There were four immigration agents for about 700 people. Stood in line for almost two hours. Non-US citizens were in a line that didn't move----in fact agents kept putting American citizens in front of them from time to time. Nice. American hospitality.I would imagine that if you are a politician, you don't need to do this.
I experienced Russian and German security as I began this journey and as I ended it. Seemed to be more efficient. My exiting agent in the Moscow airport, a young woman, at one point sternly said..."look me in the eyes..." We did this for about a minute. She then smiled and waved me through.
The young agent here in Dulles was kind and friendly as well.Laughed when I showed him a US customs form in German(all they had on my United flight). These people don't do the budgets or scheduling and I would never disparage them.
I saw Janet as I left the immigration area and we jumped into each others arms.
I don't hear any Russian. Seems like something is missing. American voices sound strange.
My dogs, Thurman and Pepper, almost wriggled out of their skin when they saw me. I've been wondering what they were thinking when I was gone.
I am feeling like going to sleep every other hour. Waking up every hour or so at night.
