“Bang, crash, clank…”  I rush to the window to see chunks of bright reddish orange clay tiles fall past thewindow of our fourth floor apartment home in Copenhagen.  I am bundled in my bright red socks, four shirts and three layers of pants.  It’s not that cold here, if you happen to be a Viking…for a hot blooded Florida girl like myself, I have to pretend to be in my office where the air is set really cold, lol.  October in Denmark means temperatures are around 50 to 60 degrees and probably raining.

I should probably begin at the airport since it has been a while since I have had access to my laptop…

“Hurry up baby, you have to move your butt!” Morten says over the phone in his Danish American accent.  My mind drifts back to thoughts of what else I need to get done before we leave for the airport.  My “partner in crime” Angela is with me and we begin mentally checking off our to do list.  Top of the list is have Angela print out our flight information.  I leave her to get the real work done as I rush off to other important things like tanning and stopping by the doctor’s office for a B-12 shot.  Since I am de-stressing before the long flight to Denmark, of course I don’t take in my cell phone.

After an hour of “me” time I am back in the car refreshed and ready for anything…or so I thought.  Several missed calls show up and I give Angela the first and last return call.  Once I realize she printed out our flight info and discovered that we fly out in about an hour and a half and the airport is a half hour away, I decide I need to get my butt moving!  As Angela drives like a bat out of hell toward my parents house where Morten is playing with the Vette transfer, I start worrying about getting in trouble with Morten so I give him a quick call.

As usual his voice is unrushed with no signs of agitation, maybe the flight info is wrong and we have another hour.  I tell him we will be there in 5 minutes and to wait outside…just to add my attempt at urgency and making the flight.  When we arrive he isn’t outside but running up and down the stairs printing out dock information and transport paperwork.  Obviously, he has no real clue of the time and I realize that when he does he may not be so Danishly reserved.  I only hope somehow things will work out…

We jump in the car, back seat crammed full of everything from jackets to my favorite low fat/high protein snacks.  Angela is of course driving and my mother rides in the back with Morten to ensure we make it safely to the airport.  As everyone settles down we all begin to realize the time and our distance from the airport.  Quickly and quietly we reach our destination, exchange kisses/hugs and race for the check in area with our giant bags.

“Yes, may I help you?”  the Delta lady says without smiling.  Bad sign.

“We need to check these bags for our flight,” Morten says as he hands the lady our flight confirmation.  She doesn’t even look up and asks if we want to reschedule our flight.  At this time, Morten’s face begins to turn bright red and broken english phrases and disbelief tumble from his lips.  I can honestly see a millions different emotions cross his mind as he looks from me to the Delta lady to the bags.

“Can he go on with his small bags and I can reschedule my flight?” I ask.

“Of course,” she says still not looking up.  She taps and types the keys without comment as Morten expalins he will not leave without me!  I wonder if he is worried I have changed my mind about making a trip to icey Denmark and I admit the thought of just staying in Florida for another month and then visiting later does cross my mind.

“$2,400 US will get you a flight tomorrow,” she finally smiles.  Now 10 minutes have passed and we must board the plane within 30 minutes.  There is no way in hell I will pay that much money to take a flight tomorrow since my original ticket only cost $790!  Morten is really sputtering and wants so bad to explode I can almost see steam coming out of his ears.  I admit at this time I think, “he must really love me to not be screaming at me right now!”

“Can we make the flight if we don’t take our bags?” I suggest.

“Of course…but what will you do with your bags?” Delta lady says almost disappointed.  Deep down I of course think this is a plot to ruin my perfect winter wardrobe from making the trip to Denmark but explain I can call Angela to come back and pick up our luggage.  At this point all my mental power has been used up and after a rushed cell phone call and mad dash to the drop off point, I become numb with relief/disbelief.  Morten realizes his one bag that is small enought to carry on the plane has some space left in it and tells me to shove something I want to take with me into it.

I look at my two perfectly packed giant bags… full of matching outfits, complete with shoes, jewelry and of course hats and jackets.  The sheer overload of choices makes me shut down and I feel more like a deer in headlights than a “bride to be” making a trip to visit my husband’s winter wonderland.  Morten unzips the closest bag and I momentarily gain some of my senses.  Angela, Mom and Morten look on and count down the seconds that I have left to decide.  Finally I grab a pair of boots, a jacket and a sweater and shove them into Morten’s suit bag.  He thinks enough for me to grab my makeup/medicine bag and crams it inside his already full bag.  Lack of time makes people stupid.  I didn’t think of my makeup because I was just thinking of freezing my ass off, never thinking I would need my medicine/first aide items and looking pretty.  Thank goodness for Danish sensibilty…lol.

Within seconds we are running for the gate and the plane to Atlanta.  The mad dash through checkpoints and  fumbling of passports/tickets/bags leaves us both breathless and somehow semi hysterical.  We both feel elated to be on the plane and almost giddy with the accomplishment of overcoming the objections of “Delta lady!”  No matter what happens later, at this point I feel like I won a game show somehow.  I am sitting on the plane with Morten who is smiling like an idiot and not even worrying about what will happen next.  He is looking at me like I am a new I-phone that happens to be on sale.  I can’t help to feel special and dumbfounded at the same time.  How can he not be upset with me?  Why isn’t he yelling at me?  Why didn’t he just leave without me?  The last question I ask out loud…

“I couldn’t be  without you.  I really love you baby and keep loving you more everyday.  I couldn’t stand the thought of leaving without you.  If you stayed , I was going to stay with you.  Is that ok?”  My knees buckle a little and I realize that sometimes getting everything you’ve ever wanted can be both thrilling and terrifying.  I look at Morten as he tells me of his plans to buy me warm clothes and that he’s sure his mom and sister will help make sure I will be kept warm and safe.  He tells me about the party he has to throw the next day and the million other things he wants to show and do with me.  The entire time I stare at him and realize for the first time this is all real.  Our whirlwind relationship, no matter how brief, has become a life together.  We are really a “we.”  We are in it for a penny, in for a pound…for better or worse, richer/poorer…with bags or without.

Morten offers me a peanut as he plays with the armrest of our seats.  He is actually glowing as he smiles back at me and kisses my nose.  “I was really pissed off!  I’m so glad we made it…”  His grin never falters as he puts his hands on my cheek and looks into my eyes, “I love you.  I’ll help keep crazy things from happening in the future!” he chuckles and sits back in his chair like the cheshire cat.  I smile even bigger realizing that in reality, I will help him get used to the crazy things that happen everyday instead…

As everyone knows, if something crazy/strange/amazing but always interesting is going to happen, it will probably involve me.  I have never set out to find trouble or the unusual.  I just don’t ever discount that they are possible and perhaps that is why I have had so many “Kimber-ventures.”  For good or bad, things happen to me that never happen to other people, for this I am both blessed and grateful.  I will never be satisfied with business as usual…as I sit beside my future husband on a flight to Denmark, I think about my past/present/future and smile.

Stay tuned…

*Kisses Kimber
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