UK Tour Day 11 - Flying Home

Woke up really early today, had to have the car turned in by 8am. Although, I was only minutes from Heathrow - I knew myself well enough to know that rush hour traffic plus my (somewhat improved) UK driving meant I better leave early.

The Garth family (who I thank my Lucky London stars for) was still sacked out from the late night before. So,I left a note of much thanks and some music on the bed and slipped out into the early, chilly English morning.

I had two tasks (well three really)find a gas station open early so I could top the car off, find The Hertz place at Heathrow (which is a city in and of itself) and manage not to dent the car or curb the wheels before the final check in. Mission accomplished!

Heathrow airport is a chaotic mess of people from every country in the world filing through this security line and that security line. So it's always best to give yourself more time than you think you'll need.

I did my rat in a maze obligations, changed my pounds to dollars (which was a hell of a lot more fun than changing my dollars to pounds on the front end of the trip), got one more big English breakfast and waited to board the plane west.

I managed to get several movies in on the 9 hour flight to Atlanta, but by far the best movie was the real one going on outside the window a few hours into the flight. I heard someone say "your missing the coast of Greenland" and I opened my window shade

and that big icy wonder was just right there outside the window - very, very cool to see!


I had just enough time to do the customs dance in Atlanta and reboard a short 45min flight to Nashville. So great to be home, but missing my new and old UK friends already!!

THE FINAL COUNT:
8,500 Air Miles
1,100 Left Lane UK Miles
1 - Case of Bronchitis
5 - Times I tried to get in on the wrong side of the car
2 - Times I screamed out loud to myself, "Mark, wrong lane, wrong lane!"
8 - Wonderful venues with great crowds
2 - BBC Radio Shows that were an absolute blast
20 - Pints of English (meaning room temp with taste) beer
2 - Bottles of Red Breast Whiskey
1 - Moment of horror when I mistook Chocolate Nuttell for Marmite Spread
8 - Times I heard the crowd sing "Stars in Their Eyes" back to me
1 - Pub Quizz - that "Team Twang" failed misserably at
12 - New bands, musicians and artists I was lucky to meet and hang with
3 - Nights feeling 20 again
3 - Mornings feeling 80
Infinite - new friends and joyful memories.

Thanks for following along on the blogs, signing up on the mailing list, coming to the shows,putting me up in your houses and venues, getting me drunk on your whiskey, wine and beer, making me smile when the miles were long and reminding me what's so great about sharing this life of music. 'Till next time. Peace, Mark!