Panic

0349 blinked back at me as I peered blearily at my clock. Closing my eyes, I rolled over and went back to sleep for the hour budgeted.

Light filtered through my closed lids.

Light?

Panicked look at my phone confirmed it was 0600. My train from Blackwater left at 0551. A quick check confirmed that I screwed up the alarm setting last night, leaving it at 0630 rather than the 0500 I had planned.

Three taxi services later, the lovely man on the other end asked me which train station. Farnborough?

Oh duh. Camberley to Waterloo is > than an hour and usually needs a change in Ascot.

Farnborough -> Waterloo is 39 minutes and the train leaves a minute soon than the 0647 (first direct train from Camberley).

Taxi Man shows up at 0612. We are at Farnborough 18 minutes later and I am 18 L poorer.

0646 to London Waterloo. Run to the other end of the earth pulling suitcase, weighted down with backpack and camera case I get to the Juliblee Line just as the doors are about to close. People have stepped back, but there is a tiny bit of room that I rudely jam into complete with wheeled suitcase ignoring all the dirty looks.

Jubilee to Canning Town. Change to DLR to the airport. Rush to the Lufthansa/Star Alliance Counter.

Lovely woman doesn’t even blink at my 15kg suitcase and validates my boarding card.

Three trips through security later (changing line because of the woman in the wheel chair. She was not an issue, it was her three traveling companions who did not have enough sense to realize they also had to clear security. Then there was the pocket torch. And finally my shoes.)

There is free WiFi in the lounge. Head pounding, I badly need caffeine but am so wired that I will never be able to sit still for the flight should I indulge.

Germany in my sights, I might just get there today.