i got bumped

oh yes...i got bumped and i didn't even know it!

but not in a violent way. i got bumped up to first-class seat.

i checked in at the SFO airport for my flight going to Florida, so i printed my boarding passes at the NWA check-in counter, one for the SFO to Detroit leg and the other one for the Detroit to Florida. i said my goodbyes to the people i love and went inside my gate to wait for my boarding time.

and so when time came to board, the ground stewardess started calling out for boarding. they called in those who were flying with children, then the business-class passengers followed by those who were flying first-class. when all these IMPORTANT people have gone in, they called out for general boarding.

i went inside the plane and started to look for the seat number printed on my boarding pass, it was 4B. then it suddenly struck me that it was in front of the plane....oh boy, it's the first-class cabin. yes, i got bumped up to first class cabin. then i looked at my other boarding pass (Detroit-Florida) and it also said "first-class cabin".

i've flown first-class before on Thai Airways during one of my trips to Thailand, but it was only a 3.5hour-flight. this one staring at me is a good 8hour-flight. 4hours and 52min from SFO to Detroit and another 2hours and 56min flight to Florida.

and so, i got all the perks and privileges and benefits of flying first-class!

God is good!

no easy way to do it...

...and so i hugged her tight, kissed her on the cheek and said goodbye... that was my sister. then i did the same to my dad and thanked him for being there. i hugged my mom longer and tighter and felt like almost crying when she reminded me to take care of myself like she's always done, while my favorite 5-year-old niece, Bridget was embracing my leg like a leech would a flesh. we did not want to separate ways just yet. that was the scene at the San Francisco International Airport when i left California for my flight to Florida the other day. my bags were heavy but my emotion was heavier as i made my way to the escalator that would take me to the gate entrance of the airport. i just said goodbye, for the moment, to the people i love dearly.

i should be good at goodbyes by now because I've done it countless of times but I guess one will never get the hang of bidding goodbyes especially to people you love. goodbyes are always sad because the distance is there and the absence is painful when you miss people. but such is my life...distance has made this family closer and even if we're not physically together, the love will always make us FEEL closer than we really are.

....will miss my wifey and kiddies

....leaving for the US in about 11 hours.

i will be visiting my parents in California, then will travel to Florida for the Book of Hope Global Congress.

i will come back right before Christmas.