Going, Coming Home, 1983

(July 6 to September 27)

We got up at 6:00 AM to finish packing our two large suitcases, one large garment bag, one very big army duffel bag, and three carry on bags. We then loaded our rented Hertz car, and drove from Rancho Mirage to Los Angeles. We stopped at See’s Candy and filled up all the left-over space in a suitcase, with gifts for Emmy’s Cousins. Then we drove to the Imperial Terminal on the far side of the Los Angeles International Airport, where the charter flights depart.

We were assured World Airways could take off with our over 100 pounds of luggage in the DC-10, right on schedule at 12:00 noon. President Reagan wanted to tell us good-by and wish us “bon voyage,” so he waited in Air Force One until we got to the runway, but he insisted on taking off first to clear the air traffic and make sure it was safe for our airplane. Well, it was something like that. It was his airplane, and he was on it, but as for the rest of that story, … … ? In Baltimore we changed from one plane right to the other, and took off on schedule.

============

On the way home, our World Airways flight left the Frankfurt Airport on time. We again stopped in Baltimore for customs processing and immigration/passport check. Our suitcases were heavily loaded, but customs just glanced, and sent us on our way.

Our suitcases were jam packed with Villeroy & Boch dishes protected by our dirty laundry. In spite of all the handling — down the stairs at Cousin Toni’s, and into a car trunk — from the car to the conveyer belt system and on the plane at Frankfurt — off the plane, more conveyer belts to and from custom’s inspection, and back on the plane in Baltimore — on the luggage trucks and through the conveyer belt system in Los Angeles — finally in and out of the car in Los Angeles. And only one cup and one little bowl was broken. Come to think of it, we have mailed or suitcased “tons” of dishes home, and that is all that has been broken, in all the years.

Daughter Linda had been working at Villeroy and Boch in Germany that summer. When she returned home, Linda and Dan went to our home in Rancho Mirage, and drove our car to Sherman Oaks. When we arrived, they met us at the airport in Los Angeles, and we drove home to Rancho Mirage.