So my traveling began yesterday (Tuesday the 24th) early, at 5 a.m. We drove over to Charlotte where i said goodbye and went on to wait for about 4 hours for my flight to JFK. I knew that I was pushing my luck with my 45 minute layover at JFK, and then there was a ceremony for a fallen soldier and my flight was delayed by 30 minutes so I thought i was screwed. Delta offered me a re-route but they never mentioned it while I was boarding so I figured I would be fine...
The flight took about 1 hour and 20 minutes. I was counting the minutes anxiously as we arrived 30 minutes before my flights departure. But THEN the jetway people were lagging and we didn't deplane until 20 minutes before departure. I don't know if you know this, but with international flights (and most other flights) you have to be on board 15 minutes before departure. Well, I got there 13 minutes before departure. As they smirked and told me "You gotta be here 15 minute before! It's gone!" I was frustrated and almost at tears. The plane was most definitely NOT gone. I went over to Gate 11 to see what Delta could give me. At first they wouldn't give me a hotel night, and I was too defeated to fight for it. I had gotten used to the idea of sleeping in the dirty, nasty Terminal 3 which I swear hasn't been renovated since the fifties when I met up with some people who had also missed the connection. They said they fought with the Delta people for 30 minutes, yelling and screaming, and Delta finally gave them a hotel room. So, heart filled with hope, I wandered back to Gate 11 and very easily got myself a room at the local Doubletree. Happily, I headed to Federal Circle to meet the shuttle (which, btw, took 45 minutes to arrive.) My head was pounding from lack of sleep and I was generally worn out.
After crashing in the hotel room from 5 to 8, I got a free dinner (yeah delta vouchers!) and then decided to stay up out of fear of missing my shuttle at 4 a.m. I drank coffee and watched Glee and Modern Family for hours, then left on the shuttle. I sat next to this ADORABLE German lady, she was tiny and old and so cute. The whole time she was saying "Half of my butt is off the chair!" and giggling in her German way. Of course, silly me heard a clang on the floor of the shuttle and didn't realize my phone had fallen from my pocket. Once I realized I didn't have it, I went after the shuttle which had just left from the terminal. I chased it for like 30 seconds, then lost it. I then went 2 terminals over to call Doubletree to ask if I could pick up my phone, and they said the shuttle would be back in 15 minutes LIES. I waited for 45 minutes, no shuttle. So whatevs, maybe I'll convince my mom to get an iPhone, or maybe I'll find an iPhone for cheap in China?
After that ordeal I boarded my flight to Detroit, sitting next to a smelly, quiet Kazakhstan(i?) girl. She had just run through the airport to catch the flight, I could tell. Finally, I'm here in Detroit, awaiting my 3:30 boarding time for China, mellow, tired, but happy. I can't wait to get on that plane.
So here is my last blogpost from the states, for 2 months! Hope you enjoyed (for my 2 readers). And if you want to keep up with me, (I'm not sure if blogspot will be accessible) please read my xanga.
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