Part 1

I sat in the back of the airport bus, staring out the window. I let my mind wander since what used to be an hours drive from Calabasas to LAX, now took like five hours.

I had nothing left to keep me here anymore. My parents had both passed away. My mom being the last to go. I also had put my house up for sale and, with the current California housing market, I made a tidy sum of money. Anything I kept had already been shipped to Scotland.

My Aunt Eileen, who was my only living relative, had married a wonderful Scotsman and had moved there a few years ago. Uncle Scott was wealthy in his own right. Kinda like the Auntie Mame character Beauregard Jackson Picket Burnside, but doesn’t die. He indulged her every whim. They operated a breeding and training facility.

And aside from my Aunt, the one thing that held my whole heart was my horse Joe. Now he did have a big ol’ long official name, but we all called him Joe for short. He had carried me through the L.A. Summer Olympics. Joe had already been shipped to Scotland a couple months ago, as taking care of my mom became a 24 hour a day job during the last few months of her life.

The airport bus stopped. Finally. British Airways. This is it. I didn’t have much with me, just one small suitcase for check in, my purse, and a carry on. Well, here I go, I thought. A new place. A new life. After making it through security, I made my way to the gate I needed and found a seat. Pulling out my phone from my purse, I texted my Aunt that I was at the airport awaiting boarding and departure, and that I couldn’t wait to see them. 

My Aunt replied saying that they couldn’t wait to see me, and that her and Uncle Scott would meet me at the luggage carousel.

I looked at the time on my phone. I had time to get a couple souvenirs, magazines, and snacks. I finally got to board the plane. I had splurged on a first class ticket. It was nice and spacious. The stewardesses and stewards helped me get all settled for roughly a 24 hour flight.

The plane started moving. I was getting excited. I had a window seat and lots of leg room. The flight crew started the safety film on the screens on the back of the seats. Then it was our turn. The engines revved, putting out some G force. Finally airborne! Yay! I watched out the window for awhile. Eventually I sat back and pulled out a magazine to read. It was a long way to my next stop. New York.