After staying the weekend in Roanoke (we got kicked out of our dorms), after eating yummy food the time had finally come to go to the airport.
Keeping each other company with our delayed flights #airportselfies |
December 15th, 2014: Leave Roanoke 7:00am-->Atlanta-->Salt Lake City---> Arrive in Portland at 4:00pm
Now keep this schedule get in mind- because it's about to get interesting.
I set my alarm for 4:45am and we planned to leave at 5:30. (By the way- a HUGE thank you to Sierra for waking up at the butt crack of dawn to drop me off at the airport!!) We arrived at the airport- had a somewhat emotional goodbye (Don't judge, it was going to be a month before I saw my best friend again) and I checked my bag- and got through security without a hitch. It wasn't hard to find my gate because the Roanoke airport is a very small.
As I was sitting at my gate I kept hearing over the intercom that my flight was being changed from 7:10am to 7:30am. And then I heard it being changed from 7:30am back to 7:10am. It did this probably 4 times until they finally told us that the plane needed a part that was being flown in on a plane from Atlanta. That being said, my flight was delayed until 11:00am. 11:00!! My flight was delayed four hours counting on the fact that the part for the plane worked when they installed it. Guess what that means? Yup, you guessed it! I was going to miss my connecting flight in Atlanta. I got in line with everybody else on my flight to talk to an agent (mind you they only had one agent working) and had them figure out what my new flight plan was going to be. After waiting for an hour and a half- My new schedule was:
Leave Roanoke 11:00am-->Atlanta-->San Francisco-->Arrive in Portland 6:00pm
Luckily, Sierra's flight was supposed to leave in that time that my was delayed- so that somewhat emotional goodbye was in vain. We got to keep each other company until her flight left. I only had slight anxiety that the "new part" wasn't going to work and I was going to end up in the side of a mountain with my arm sticking out of my ankle... but it all went okay. Eventually my flight left and I landed in Atlanta. I had 40 minutes from the time I landed to get to my gate and get boarded. I found my gate easily but upon arrival I figured out that my flight had been delayed 45 minutes. Guess what? Yup, you are right again!!! That meant I was going to miss my connecting flight in San Francisco. You've got be kidding me. I was a little irked by now- but still under control.
I went up to the man who was working my gate and mentioned to him that because of the new delay for this flight- that I was going to miss my connecting flight... he was very friendly and told me that he was having difficulty finding a flight. He directed me to a service desk where I talked to a lady. She eventually had me call a Delta representative. (This was not looking good for me... why was I having to contact so many different people?) The rep eventually told me that I would be able to catch my connecting flight because it too had been delayed 45 minutes. *insert sigh of relief*. Wonderful! I was going to be able to make my connecting flight and then be home in Portland. Hallelujah! ...But wait- there's more!
So we board the plane in Atlanta to go to SF- and I find out that my ticket was rebooked for 1st class! Now that was awesome! That was one of the two bright-spots that I had that day! The flight to SF was awesome... except when we finally reached our destination. We were delayed in the air by the air traffic control and we circled around the city for around 10 minutes. We finally landed and I had like twenty minutes to get to my gate. I was sprinting (literally sprinting) because a man told me I had to get to the international side of the airport, which of course was on the other side of the airport. I was sweating like a fat man dressed in a snow-suit in the Sahara desert. I check through security- moving as fast as possible and continue running- trying to find my gate and trying to find my flight number on the screen with departing planes. I couldn't find it anywhere! The only flights that were going to Portland did not match my departure time OR my flight number.
Can I just say, I HATE the SF airport! HATE IT! I couldn't find anyone to talk to! I finally run all the way to the end and finally find someone to talk to. I wait in line for a couple minutes and talk to the man who tells me I need to catch a shuttle because my flight has been changed to another airport.
At this point I have been in airports for 11 hours. I had just ran across a huge airport. This is the second time my flight has been changed. I am an emotional wreck.
I leave the desk and call my mother-- balling. I was so frustrated, I just wanted to be home. Lucky for me my mom has her head screwed on strait and helped me pull myself together. She told me to go back down- ask where the shuttle is and how to get to it.
I go back down and ask the guy where I can catch the shuttle. He gave me THE most condescending look that said, "You are an idiot". He proceeded to tell me that I should've gotten on the shuttle, but that now it was too late, that there were a bunch of announcements throughout the airport that said that the flight was changed. When I first talked to him he didn't even tell me where to go to be able to catch a shuttle! I simply looked at the man and said with tears in my eyes- very frustrated "Sir, I need you to help me because I need to get home." He finally got me booked- and I was boarded within three minutes on a flight that was going to Seattle. Yup- another flight change. When I got on the plane I checked a voicemail- it was a call letting me know that my flight had been changed to Oakland, California and that I needed to catch an hour and a half shuttle to that airport. Mind you, I had twenty minutes to catch that flight. I specifically loved the part of the message that told me that I needed to "plan accordingly". *insert satanic chuckle*. Well, I was finally boarded to Seattle, and I was just praying that the plane wasn't going to explode or something.
New Flight: Leave Roanoke 11:00am--> Atlanta-->San Francisco-->Seattle--> Portland (I just love the experience of being able to see all of these different airports across the United States)
Well, we arrive in Seattle and land at our gate (which we find out isn't operating), so they bring out stairs and we make into the airport. (Note to self- I like the Seattle Airport). I find my gate- and everything else from there on out goes without a hitch. We get to PDX- FINALLY! I walk through the airport- check out of security and I see my mom!!! YAY! I give her a huge long hug and hug Austin and Brandon who also came with to pick me up! We head down to pick up my checked bag... we waited for approximately 20 minutes and my luggage wasn't there. YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME?!!??!
At this point, I have so exhausted and so frustrated that it is so incredibly comical that they really lost my luggage. After all the **** that I had been through... my luggage was in San Francisco. I think I have the worst luck of all time. I was starting to worry that I was going to trip down the escalators and put myself into a coma... luckily that didn't happen.
My gracious mother and I went over to talk to somebody who looked official and she informed us that my luggage indeed was in SF. I figured as much. She told us that they would deliver my luggage to our house (Hallelujah), and that it would be of no extra charge to us.
About half the boarding passes that I had printed |
Luckily, my luggage was delivered to my house the next day and I didn't have to streak around naked for that long.
I really didn't streak around naked- I had a couple pairs of underwear in my carry-on and all of my jeans. Don't worry, I wasn't streaking around naked, I promise!
Being home has been awesome. I miss all my friends back from BV, but its good to see everyone and to spend some much needed time with my brothers, mom and dogs:) Its good to reconnect with my friends and compare universities and how our college lives were different. (BTW, SVU rocks... there aren't people having sex in the lobbies of our dorms... I mean, there are the awkward couples that make out.. but at least they aren't baby-makin')
Reunited part II |
Reunited Part I |
I promise that he isn't high |
Merry Christmas and beware of airports!!!