We Are Family

On Sunday, the entire Shroff Family was reunited! It was quite an adventure for both Jignesh and Schlopy. The trip started over 24 hours earlier as father and son rose with the fish to begin the 8 hour car trip from my parent’s house in Knoxville to the Cleveland airport. Once in Cleveland, Jignesh dropped Schlopy off at the animal reception center located in the airport’s cargo area. I was quite relieved to get a call from Jignesh informing me that Schlopy’s paperwork was cleared and that he should be able to legally enter the UK (we were not going to have to sneak him across the border afterall). After returning his rental car, Jignesh checked himself in (Yes, he was cleared too!) and proceeded to the gate. Of course, it is impossible to fly in the states without a delay and Jignesh spent his 2 ½ hour delay at the bar. As he was boarding the plane, he did get a slight scare when the Continental employees informed him that they have been trying to find him and he needs to call animal reception immediately. Luckily, his fears were calmed when animal reception just wanted to let Jignesh know that they fed and walked Schlopy and he was doing great! After a long flight, both arrived at London Gatwick tired and hungry but otherwise intact. I met Jignesh at the airport (yes, I did get lost and went to three different coffee shops before finding him) and we took a taxi to the animal reception center to meet our son. I cannot even begin to describe the excitement I was feeling when we were nearing the center. Schlopy came from the back and immediately starting jumping in his crate when he saw us. We then took another taxi back to the airport and caught the Gatwick Express. We decided to be cheap and take the underground to our flat. Now, keep in mind that we had two huge suitcases, a laptop bag containing two laptops, a large backpack, a large animal crate, and an animal! We snuck onto the tube as the workers were trying to tell a fellow passenger that he could not bring his small boogey board on the underground. Good thing they did not see us!!! Schlopy’s first underground ride was a crowded, hot, and hectic but we all miracously made it home!

Now that we are all together again and Jignesh is not travelling as much, I feel that our UK adventure has now started! Let the fun begin!
Cheers!