Day One... The Adventure Begins

I woke up at 4am this morning in order to get the airport and start my adventure off right. Sunday was a good/busy/sad day. I had to say good bye to my Dad, Allison, and Flynn. I didn't get home until around 2:30am. Perhaps I should have gotten a few more hours of sleep, but I didn't care. I had a good day.

My mom took me to the airport. I got everything packed up and loaded into the car right on schedule. At the last minute, I remembered that I had written all my flight information down on a pad of paper a week ago. Unfortunantly that pad of paper was MIA. I scanned a couple rooms for it before throwing in the towel. I figured I had enough of a lay over in Chicago that I could just look up my flight info on my laptop when I landed.

We arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare. After checking in my suitcase (and paying the $25 fee because it weighed 18lbs more then it's supposed to) we found a table at the Starbucks and chilled out. I started getting restless and that's when it was time to say goodbye. I made it through the security check point really fast.

I only had to wait at the gate for about 20min, and then it was time to board. There weren't very many people on the plane which was awesome! I got a whole row to myself and slept most of the way. The Flight Attendants even left the munchies at the end of the row for me so when I finally did wake up I could enjoy a tasty treat. I hadn't had Handy Snacks in ages!

When I got off the plane at Chicago Midway, I got my suitcase and then headed to the ticket counters so I could check into my next flight. Unfortunately I didn't see US Airways anywhere. I found a seat and got online and found my flight information. It turns out My US Airways flight from Chicago to Philidelphia was actually out of O'Hare, not Midway! YIKES! So I asked the information lady how I could get to O'Hare. She directed to me a shuttle. I wandered around for a bit looking for the shuttle. It was freezing outside and I had my backpack and suitcase so I was slow moving. I wasn't in much of a rush because I had nearly four hours between flights. So I figured I had plenty of time. I figured wrong. When the shuttle finally did show up, an hour later, I found out it would take about an hour to get to O'Hare! I chatted with the only other passenger on the shuttle (a nice Chargers fan from San Diego) but thought anxiously about how much time I would have to get to my flight. We got to O'Hare with about 25min until my flight was scheduled to depart. So I booked it! I ran (as fast as one can run with a 68 pound suitcase in tow and a loaded backpack on her back). I ran around O'Hare until I finally found my ticket counter. I punched in my info at the self-check counter and then the screen said four words every traveler dreads, "Seats No Longer Available."

The lady at the counter checked the computer and called the gate. I had just missed my flight. You have to be check in at least 30min prior to take off. She had me step over to another agent who told me I had missed my flight and that the soonest I could get to Madrd now was at 10:10am on Wed. That is exactly 24 later then I was supposed to arrive. So I cried a bit, not blubberingly, but tired and angrily as the agent charged me $25 to change my flight.

Not knowing what else to do I sat down at the nearest chair and got online. Luckily for me, Flynn, Allison, and my Mom were all at their computers so I was able to email and instant message them with moment to moment updates on my situation. I sat shocked for a long time. I emailed my family in Spain to tell them I would be a day late, I just hope they get the meesage in time! I eventually moved to another seat, this time in the lobby of the Hilton. I stayed there for over an hour, emailing and instant messaging. Part of me just wanted to roll over, fall asleep, and pretend that none of this had just happened. Another part of me wanted to scream. And a third part of me just wanted to cry. I was not prepared for this to happen! I had been planning on my adventure starting when I landed in Spain. It wasn't supposed to start in Chicago. And yet there I was, alone in Chicago for the night.

Eventually, I got my gear together, rolled out to the shuttle vans and hopped in one that took me to a Best Western 5min form the airport. This isn't where I expected to be tonight, but here I am. At least the water tastes alright, the bed is comfortable, and there is food downstairs calling my name.

So here I am now. In Chicago. My flight leaves for Philidelphia tomorrow at 1:50pm. I'll get to Phily by 4pm and then my flight leaves to Madrid at 8:30pmish. This is certainly not what I had anticipated. But I guess it's better to learn a lesson in humility right off the bat. This trip is not in my hands and I was foolish to think that it was.

I am going to sleep like a rock tonight.