A trip home. Or thereabouts.

So upon further research, it seemed evident that I would need to have a return ticket in order to enter the country without a work permit or other documentation supporting a longer stay.

In hindsight, I'm now kicking myself for not booking a round trip ticket when I booked my flight over there. When I was looking at it, one way tickets were between $300 and $400, and round trips were between $600 and $700. I didn't think I'd really save that much by booking round trip, figuring the prices were high in June because it's so far off. Maybe, but I think they're also higher because its peak travel time.

Regardless, I just booked a flight back for about $500. And its not even back to Detroit. I return to Chicago on 6/29. Flights into Detroit were about $100 more, and with a worse itinerary/schedule. I guess that'll give me a day or whatever to hang out with the Chicago folks before heading back to Michigan, either by train, or by the good graces of my family who might come pick me up (unless any of my Chicago friends decide to head back to Michigan that weekend!).

At least its A) a direct flight from Shannon and B) an afternoon departure, so I won't have to get up at the buttcrack of dawn and be in a rush to make my flight. I leave at around 3pm local time, and get in around 5pm local time. So yeah, its like only a two hour trip home. But different.