Mission Day 10

August 1, 2026

​(sigh) My mission has come to an end; it is time to go home.  I am excited to see my family, but sad to leave this amazing place and adventure. My departure time from the hotel was 3:45 am (ugh).  But I was going to be traveling with the Poland team to Chicago, and they had international things to take care of.

Our flight itself was uneventful, other than it was delayed a little because they forgot to put fuel on the plane.   After landing in Chicago, I learned that the international students had a plan – to see how many cockpits they could photograph.   So, I got off the plane, the Poland team took the picture, and we said good-bye at the gate.   They were off to collect their bags and re-check in for their next flight in another terminal.  They had a 7-hour layover, and I had a 2-hour layover.   However, my layover turned into 4 hours, and I finally landed at XNA about 2 hours late.

Travel day was a long day for the other teams; multiple flights and buses led to some teams traveling over 2-3 days.  Australia had a 17-hour flight, and Ukraine landed in Bucharest and then had 10- 20-hour bus rides.   Thankfully, everyone has made it home.
Like I said above, the students all got pictures in the cockpits or with the pilots on their way home – it was great.  One team even had the opportunity to do the flight attendant announcements.

Unfortunately, one of my students landed in her hometown amid wildfires.  She was evacuated to a family member's house for Saturday night and has returned to her home.
I want to say thank you to all those who supported me in my Space Adventure.   It was an adventure of a lifetime, and I would hop on a plane and go back, no questions asked.
​
Signing off – Space Cadet Kristy

💫🚀⭐Ad Astra ⭐🚀💫