Phew- I barely know where to start with my past 48 hours.

After a night of storms I awoke to my last day in Tucson where we filled our last time with a trip to see the wonderful film Quartet (I wish there was was a home for retired/ tired beaders and crafters. I would move in right away) followed by lunch at a Thai restaurant where we sat at a Princess Diana themed table.

Then it was a trip to see Larry the acupuncturist. I previously had acupuncture many years ago and it was a horrible experience. The pins hurt and the therapist would put lots in my back and leave my lying face down trapped whilst she went off to see other people and often seemed to forget about me as I would be there for hours. As I lay there in pain and stressed I wondered what people saw in acupuncture. Of course being a fool I went back many times before I wised up.

This time bore no resemblance to that.

This time I felt my stress drain out of my body and parts of me, and even my cells, give in and relax. It was as though different parts of me began floating and were realigned and re-energised. I hope to find someone as good in London when I get home.

I am so glad I went as I really needed to approach today able to handle it head on.

My day began at 3.30am when I finished packing and soon we headed to the airport so I would be nice and early for my 6am flight. I had booked such an early one so I would get to West Palm Beach at 4pm and have an early night all ready for my 4 days of classes. I was foiled in this plan from the outset.

A dust storm in Dallas meant my flight to Fort Worth was indefinitely delayed whilst we waited for a new part for the plane to make it able to handle the dust (?). So I stood in a queue for an hour to be told I was on a flight to Chicago in 6 hours time. I sucked it up and headed to the bar for some food and a consoling Bloody Mary where I had the joy to sit next to two business men whose main topic of conversation was the sexual skills of their female work colleagues. I realised I would be better off sitting at the gate not listening and headed there and asked to get a new boarding card for my new flight. The very kind man put me on the next flight to Chicago, which was leaving in ten minutes, as he knew that Chicago was now having problems with air traffic control and if I didn't get there soon I might not make it out of there the same day...

Within minutes I was on that flight and headed to Chicago where I spent 7 hours in a very packed airport (lots and lots of flights were cancelled or delayed) sitting on the floor trying to read whilst people ranted all around at staff and sobbingly rang famly and friends to inform them of their delay.

I, chilled from my acupuncture the day before, calmly tried to once again contact the shop I was teaching at so they knew I was further delayed and not to worry about meeting me at the airport but of course the airport didn't have free wifi and trying to purchase internet time was foiled when the website wouldn't take my credit cards or PayPal account.

So instead I sat there and thought happy thoughts and took deep breaths and saying silent thanks to Kate for booking the acupuncture.

The hours flew by (well, not really) and at just before 1am I landed at my destination to discover my luggage wasn't with me. At this point I was too tired to even cry and after half an hour managed to persuade someone that maybe it had travelled there earlier on the flights I should have taken and fortunately it had.

At 2.30am I was checked into the hotel and walked into my room knowing I had just 6 hours to sleep, pack for class, get washed & dressed and eat. Never have I been so thankful to see a comfortable bed and a towel animal in my life.