Pam's Daily Wave...

Good Morning and Welcome to my Atlantic Adventures 😊

And before I knew it….....I was back sitting on my comfy leather sofa at the inn, drinking a mug of coffee, watching the flames dancing around the logs of the fire (it's a gas fire, but it's as close as I'll get to a real log fire here at the inn), on the other side of the Atlantic from Scotland.... in my Hatteras home - my Scottish adventure over (well, this one - already planning my next 😉). I've had quite a few messages asking if I would ever think about organizing a group to tour my homeland with me.....and you never know, I just might!

Leaving mom and dad, as you can imagine was super difficult, what did make it easier was that mom felt well enough to join dad and me on the hour long trip to Glasgow Airport!! the pale face that had greeted me the week previously was gone - replaced by a beautiful, bright, healthy-looking face. The change in mom after her surgery has been nothing short of remarkable, and while she still has some recovering to do, it has made my heart so truly happy to see mom on such a speedy path to recovery.

Mom and Dad on my last trip to the beach at Ayr

Leaving Day - Mom and me 💕

Dad and me 💕

After arriving at Glasgow airport, there was just enough time for a quick coffee and goodbyes with mom and dad (the goodbyes were so incredibly tough 😢) before heading to departures - which went smoothly apart from the facts they wanted to search my luggage thoroughly because they couldn't work out what a small object in my backpack was…. It was a tiny, round, silver trinket box, that mom had given me minutes before leaving their house. As she put the pretty little keepsake in my hand, she told me that she wanted to give me something special of hers, so that I could take a little piece of her with me.

This thoughtful gesture was such a magical moment that will live with me forever….. and one that brings tears to my eyes as I write this...💕

My beloved keepsake from Mom 💖

"Through the thick corn the scarlet poppies peep

And round green roots and yellowing stalks I see"

from "The Scholar-Gypsy"

by Matthew Arnold

So, it was a simple explanation to the security person, and then I was off to do some last minute shopping before my departure from Scotland. I have absolutely no issues with airport security checking my luggage - whilst it may have caused me a minor inconvenience, I'm truly grateful for the vigilance of airport security staff, ensuring our safety when we travel.

After buying the obligatory touristy items, including "Nessy" the Loch Ness Monster, Scottish sheep key rings, tins of Scottish shortbread etc., it was off to find a traditional Scottish meal before I left.

Last minute shopping at the Glasgow Airport bookstore

Nessie

"Steak and ale pie with mashed tatties, neeps and peas" was how it was described on the menu…. which translates to steak pie with mashed potatoes, mashed turnip and peas….. and was absolutely delicious, setting me up for my travels!

Not bad for airport food 😋

Although I had a window seat on the plane, it was over the engine so not a great view, and as the plane began its rumbling ascent, a few tears trickled down my face as I said goodbye to my homeland.

Leaving my homeland 😢

Windmill crazy...

The M25 motorway in the distance......I used to commute on this every day!!

The River Thames in London

Coming into land at Heathrow Terminal 5

On landing at Heathrow Terminal 5, I took a cab to the hotel where I was staying overnight - When I planned my trip I wanted to ensure a smooth and enjoyable journey, with as little stress as possible (I'm in the process of writing a blog post on the joys of travelling on your own). instead of stressing about connections in London, which involved getting from Terminal 5 at Heathrow to Terminal 3 and worrying about possible departure delays at Glasgow (which did happen, my flight was delayed by over an hour), I chose to fly in the afternoon and stay overnight at an airport hotel in London.

The Leonardo Hotel, London Heathrow

That way I could have a good night's sleep and shower in the morning before eating a leisurely breakfast, and then on to some more last-minute shopping, this time in London.

Departures, London Heathrow

A couple of my London purchases....Paddington Bear and Fortnum and Mason's Tea

Again I chose to reserve a space in a terminal lounge ("No.1 Lounges" - it cost me $35 to reserve, so well worth it), and this one was even better than the one I had used over a week ago at Terminal 5 - with a library, movie room, super comfy chairs and sofas, as well as food, drink and free Wi-fi all included in the $35 charge! I would most definitely do this again, in fact it was so calm and relaxing that when I finally emerged to board my plane, the noise and busyness of the terminal was a bit of an assault on my senses!

Just relaxing and writing my blog....

Library

Little Movie Theatre

Travel Spa

Library Lounge

So, refreshed and relaxed, I boarded the flight and took my seat for the next leg of my journey. As I mentioned earlier, planning is key to less stressful travel (and trust me the older I get…. the less stress I want or need!!). American Airlines offer you the choice to select your meal when you book your flight, this choice includes gluten free, vegan bland, kosher, diabetic, low fat etc..

With my blanky, dinner and glass of wine, I settled in to watch a movie.

8 hours later (it really didn't feel that long), I'd watched a couple of movies, written..... lots, eaten another meal, had a little snooze, and it was time to land at Raleigh.

Now, originally I had planned to drive home to Hatteras after I had picked up my luggage, but JB had suggested that I stay in Raleigh overnight, as it would probably have been around

10:00pm before I would get home. Being tired…. I had been awake for over 20 hours - driving along NC 12 at night in the dark, was not such a great idea, so I was super glad I had booked a hotel for an overnight stay before driving home. Again, this forward thinking (albeit this particular idea had been JB's – thank you🥰 ) worked perfectly - my luggage, that I had last seen over a day ago in Glasgow, managed to arrive on the same flight as me, and…...my bags were some of the first luggage unloaded – bonus!

And just like that...they appeared 🪄

Next stop Jake… then off to my hotel!

After grabbing some dinner at the Capital City Chophouse, which was just across the road from my hotel, it was a super early night for me - I was still on "British time", so when I turned in at 7:00pm, my body clock thought it was midnight and I was off to sleep 😴

The Goulash Soup was delish, although the steak was a little disappointing......and for the money, the veggies were teeny, tiny portions

Waking up at 3:30 am (body clock telling me it was 8:30am) I read for a little while before getting up, having a shower, and of course, a large mug of coffee. By 4:30am I was on the road heading toward Hatteras.

On the road again....🎶

It was obviously still dark and it was raining, but I was listening to a great audible book (I love listening to books when I'm driving) and really enjoyed the drive back home. Soon the sun lit the sky, and before long I saw water… then I knew I was almost home 💕

Finally, sunrise

And then I saw the water.....and all was awesome, I was almost home 💕

I did do a quick detour to Nags Head to pick up some munchies for Super Bowl Sunday, then had a quick look around HomeGoods (something that just has to be done anytime I'm up the island😉)

After my detour, it was back in Jake...... and this was my next sight!!!

A wonderful sight!!!!!

Sand and Water on either side of me, almost there...

On my drive along NC 12, I couldn't resist a quick stop at "Canadian Hole" to see the "Pamlico Sound", before I reached the final leg of my adventure, my absolutely favorite piece of the drive - the road from Frisco into Hatteras Village.

"Canadian Hole"

A tad stormy looking

before I reached the final leg of my adventure, my absolutely favorite piece of the drive - the road from Frisco into Hatteras Village.

The absolute best part of NC12.....

I was home…….. to the Atlantic inn where JB, Bailey, Bodie and pumpkin were patiently waiting for me 💕💕

Until Next Time...

Take care, Stay Safe and....have a blessed week!

Love and Hugs,

Pam

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