I hate it when you realize you should have done something and there is technically a fix for it and it won’t be that hard but it SEEMS really hard. And you just keep thinking of ways to not do the hard difficult thing. You make excuses and reasons for why it may be a LITTLE easier to do it later, at a different place. Then when you get to the next step, you realize you are still in the same position but now you are running out of time and realize you really really really should have done it in the first place.
Anyway.
I hate those lessons. Because then I sit and think about all the other difficult things I’m putting off where I should have just put my big girl panties on and done the thing. How much easier would I make my life if I just knew the right (and hard) thing to do and just got it done?
Lessons are so fun to learn.
This one was about VAT! I bought a beautiful ring and had to visit the jewelry shop no less than 5 times. Twice to try it on and hum and haw about if I want it or not. The third to buy. The fourth to bring my passport to get my 12% tax refund, and the 5th because they forgot to register it and give me my extremely large and bulky special box and guarantee papers. When they gave my VAT paperwork it was very official. She said, it’s VERY easy. You go to the airport, you get it certified, and they give you your money back. Okay great.
We got to the airport. THREE HOURS EARLY. We wait around for 15m before we are allowed to check in. The kiosk refused to scan my passport so we went to the check-in station where we got the FUNNIEST man. I had seen him when we were in line, he was admonishing two sweet looking guys and saying his carry-on was too big. The guy puts his carry-on in the sample box and the guy shakes his finger at him and says, “No, no no”! I realized the guy had extremely fussy buckles on his suitcase that was preventing him from getting the suitcase down so I leaned over and tapped him on the shoulder and pointed it out. We struggled with it for awhile and then it slide easily into the box and the guy behind the counter threw up his hands and said, “Parfait!” (Perfect!) The sweet guy looked over at my and put his hands together and said MERCI MERCI! And bowed his head at me and we all laughed. And I thought… man, I hope I don’t get this guy.
I did. I handed him our passports and he said, “Kristina, Kristina, No no no no no no no no no” and all I did was keep smiling at him. I had checked in. I knew we had seats. I knew Sam was LOOSING HER MIND next to me and all I could do was smile. He took Sam’s and Griffins’s and kept saying No no no no no.. and I realized he was joking. Or that it was just his “thing”. Anyway, our suitcases were under the 50lbs minimum, or mine was close enough anywhere where he said PARFAIT! And it all worked out. I had leaned over and told Sam, I’m just smiling through it, it helps!
We go through security with minimal fuss. We are sitting at our gate and then I realize… VAT! OMGOSH. That was $400 in a tax refund that I needed to get in France. I looked at my paperwork. The kiosk was at arrivals. I would have to go out and go back in. I would have to leave the kids. We had time. I talked to Sam about it and she said, “That sounds like a bad idea”. And I kept thinking, I could probably do this in Paris. We were in a connecting flight, it was delayed, we had more time in Paris. Even though I knew the Charles de Gualle airport was a MADHOUSE.
Sigh.
I should have just gone back out in Nice.
I did not.
And then I hummed and hawed about it at CDG. And CDG was a freaking MADHOUSE. I kept the kids at Terminal 2E and then I changed my mind and ran back to them JUST to find out that Terminal 2E was the wrong one and we had to go to Terminal 2E K, which was a completely separate section (WTF?). But I saw them go through to 2E K, and then I just went out and went for it. I had two hours. The kids had my problematic freezer bag with yogurt that was already through security. Sam got to feel important going through customs saying “I’m 18, and HE’S with ME” (talking about Griffin).
And it literally took 4 minutes. I found the HUGELY ADVERTISED “Tax Refund” office. WHY WAS THERE NOT A SIGN TO TRIGGER MY MEMORY IN NICE!!??!!? WHYYYYY
I hit the call button and he walked out, took my papers, asked where the ring was – I SHOWED HIM – and did something and said, DONE!
And then I tried to get back in. I tried to go through Terminal 2F which is where I came out, and they stopped me because no flights in 2F go to LAX! Well, I knew that but I was last there with my kids and I knew where it was… but Sam had said they had to walk a mile after customs, so I walked the mile FIRST, and then went through customs at the official 2E. Which was so easy. There was no line. There was no line at security and then it was done.
$400 saved.
Sigh. So ridiculous.
And then… THEN! I told the kids, I need a hamburger and a glass of champagne.
Are there any restaurants in Terminal 2E K? No. No there are not. WHAT THE HECK? A bunch of “grab and gos” and yes, we walked the whole terminal because when I asked someone “Ou et le restaurants?” they said K47! Was there a restaurant? Not really.. there were seats for a “healthy sandwiches” which was not a hamburger.. but when we did the huge walk, I saw a glorious looking bar that was deserted that I just wanted to sit down, chill out, and have a glass of champagne. I got the kids situated with grab and go sandwiches and candy. Then went back alone.
Once I got there… I realized it was a seafood bar. It has SALMON! Was it spelled differently? Yes it was. Did I take a picture of the menu and google translate it? Yes I did? Did I quiz the French speaking waitress if it was “plain” with “pas de sauce”? Yes…
What did I get for $38? A small amount of delicious raw salmon.
And did it just cost $93 because I had two glasses of Rose champagne and an evian? Yes it did. Was it worth it to sit here and write this?
Absolutement.
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