Dear Jacky,
This past week I had a situation…I had a carefully, well-thought-out plan. I booked my flight to leave at the end of the workday on Thursday so I would arrive in Texas at a decent hour with the hour I would gain. I would work a half-day the next day and then I would be able to start my weekend early in Texas. I would enjoy my time in Texas and fly back late in the afternoon to arrive home very, very late Sunday night. The guy who runs the Sunday Scaries Instagram has some rule about always booking the first flight out…I’m the opposite of that…the antithesis of that. I normally book the latest flight I can possibly muster for a trip and make it to work the next day. I just have this thing about wringing all the drops out of every experience. I love traveling. I love exploring new places. I love trying on different lives, I like to see what it’s like to live in different places, even if it’s just for a weekend. When I travel, I don’t want the magic to end until it has to. So this was the plan and well none of it went according to the plan.
I drove to the airport and I pulled into my parking space and then I pulled out my phone which had a text letting me know my plane had been delayed. I was supposed to have a layover and with the delay there was 15 minutes between landing and taking off again and I knew that wasn’t enough time unless the gate was literally next door. By the time I got to the counter to check my bag (yes I will always check my bag) I cannot/will not ever be able to fit all my things in a carryon. It’s probably a personality flaw of mine but it’s just something I’m incapable of and I’m not sorry about it. It’s just who I am but back to the story.
I love traveling. I love exploring new places. I love trying on different lives, I like to see what it’s like to live in different places, even if it’s just for a weekend. When I travel, I don’t want the magic to end until it has to.
As I approached the counter, I saw a long line and another text message letting me know my plane was further delayed. I certainly, without a doubt, would miss my connecting flight. I check to see that my phone hadn’t automatically updated my flights to a new connecting flight so I searched to see what the next flight was at my connecting airport only to find out there were none until the next morning. I was hopeful they could do some rockstar airport math and pull out any route that made no sense but landed at my final destination that night…fly me to the most randomnest of airports, give me three connecting flights, I did not care…but one way or another they best get me to Texas that night.
When I finally made it to the ticket counter, they in cheery voices told me I could fly the first leg of my flight and they would put me up in a hotel and then I could fly out first thing to my destination. Problems with this are: 1) I have to spend the night in an airport hotel and I’ve done this scenario before. Maybe it was because all the flights were grounded the last time this happened and they ran out of the regular airport hotels and they had no options but I have had the single-handedly worst hotel experience of my life due to a canceled flight and I will not do that again. 2) I have family in the connecting city so I considered flying and calling them to ask if I could stay with them but I would have to be back at the airport at 5:00am and there’s nothing that will ruin my whole day like making me wake up at an insane hour. It’s another character flaw of mine. I’m not a morning person. I want to be. I wish I could be but I cannot, I’ve tried and after I try then I’m so tired the day is ruined.
Their next option was I could fly out at 7:00am and arrive around noon. See reason #2 above and also I had planned to work remotely that morning and flying would interfere. Their last option was to fly out at noon and arrive after 6:00pm which was almost 24 hours after I originally planned. This option would also interfere with my working in the morning so once again the answer was no. I cancel my flight after I check and see that I can buy a stupidly expensive airline ticket with another airline and I get my refund and a $200 voucher for my inconvenience which let me tell you is not even comparable to my inconvenience (I’m being dramatic…kind of)
I go back and forth on whether this is crazy or not but by the time I meet the interstate I decide I have nothing to lose and I go for it.
I head on over to the other airline and I asked to book a flight. The original flight that I thought was stupid expensive but I was willing to pay just left the gate. The next flight was $1,000+ which surpassed the threshold where I could rationalize buying it. The desk attendant tells me I should go back to the first airline because they can’t get me there any sooner and the original airline will pay for it.
I am beyond annoyed. I look at the line of 30 people at the original airline. I feel defeated and I decide I will just go home. Some people let their anger boil over and take it out on other people. I don’t…I silently boil inside and will die on this hill. I will absolutely not concede that the solution offered is the best one. I roll my suitcase towards the door and back to the parking garage…I am stubborn. I start running through all the solutions in my head especially the ones that involved not paying a dime of my money to this airline simply for the principle of the matter. (insert laughing emoji) As I stroll towards the garage and presumably home…I look up flights out of another airport in a big city over an hour away. It’s quickly approaching 5pm and rush hour. I see a flight at 7:20pm that’ll get to my destination only an hour later than my original flight. I wonder if I can make it. I type the address into my phone and it says I can make it by 5:50pm. I’m very unsure if this is possible due to rush hour but I’ve grown to be bold and get a thrill out of a challenge. I go back and forth on whether this is crazy or not but by the time I meet the interstate I decide I have nothing to lose and I go for it.
To be continued…