Lydia and I had one last pretty awesome breakfast at the Conrad Dublin before heading to the airport. Mom and Tom... don't have Hilton gold status like I do. I'm a pretty big deal, as you well know. In my defense I did offer them our breakfast though. Lydia just about cried.
By far my favorite part was this whole freaking honey comb available. Bees: I'm gonna eat your food, and your houses, and if you cross me I'll eat your children next. I remember that time you stung me when I was playing barefoot in my backyard. I do not forgive. I do not forget.
There were little like vegetable puree power juice things available in little shot glasses. Mine was some kind of carrot and ginger concoction.
While we were checking out the hotel desk clerk asked us where we're from and then told us he has friends in St. Louis that he visits every year. Small world after all.
This is irrelevant, I'm just happy that there's an anthropomorphic potato man named Mr. Tayto out there somewhere.
Dublin airport is another location where US Homeland Security is rocking the Preclearance on the foreign side of the trip. Then when you land wherever in the US you are treated as a domestic flight. Maybe this is just to relieve congestion on the US side or something? I don't really know. If you recall they have the same setup when leaving from Abu Dhabi's airport as well.
I thought it was kind of awesome how much Kennedy is remembered in Ireland. It's funny because we were just in Berlin and his smiling face is plastered everywhere over there as well.
And then of course we landed at JFK in New York. He's everywhere! I guess JFK is kind of unique because airlines were allowed to design their own terminals. The now unused TWA terminal was designed by Eero Saarinen, the same guy that did the St. Louis Arch.
I mean, look at this awesome coffee shop. I like that retro space age looking style they had.
Well we came home on the 31st partially because my Southwest Airlines Companion Pass expired January 1st, and at that point my carriage would turn back into a pumpkin. One of the connection cities on the way home was going to be Chicago anyway, so why not spend New Years Eve with my pals Natalie, Joe, and Sus in Chicago? Great plan.
Good times were had but I felt a bit guilty, we were so jet lagged and beat up by the time we made it to Joe's apartment that we had little gas left in the tank for partying. I brought them a few delicious treasures from Europe though so even-Steven?
We hopped on a train at Union Station and napped until St. Louis. When we first entered the station there was a huge line snaking out from the departures area. Ok fine, we got in line. I started to look a bit closer though, and like 50% of the people in line were children. Plus adults and children had these ridiculously festive pajamas on. What the heck? Lydia quipped "what is this the line for the Polar Express?" A parent turned around with these giant shiny golden tickets in her hand and said "yes it is." It was pretty funny.