It started as a relatively normal travel day. I had visited a friend at school in Colorado and woke up around 6am to catch the bus to the airport to get back home. Sharing a twin bed isn’t ideal, and I seemed to have developed a sinus infection over break, so I was already feeling lousy and just wanting to pass out on the plane. I got to Denver Airport, checked my suitcase, and headed to security.
The first bump in the road came when I realized my water bottle was still half-full with no place to pour it out in sight. I had no choice but to chug 32 oz. of water in about 6 minutes. I was full. I was bloated. Alas, I carried on and made it through security.
I grabbed some breakfast and sat down at the gate. Of course, the gate changed about five minutes before boarding so I rushed to the other side of the terminal and got there just in time. All seemed to be fine as I sat down, buckled my seat belt, and started to fall asleep. About 20 minutes later an announcement came on telling everyone that the plane was having maintenance issues and we would need to get off and wait for a new plane to take us to Washington. Now normally I am a very patient, understanding person, but I had a connecting flight to catch. I spent the next 2 hours running between customer service and the gate on the phone with my mother, frantically deciding how the heck I was going to get to Richmond if I missed my flight.
We decided it was best if I just got to D.C. and took it from there. My lovely roommate offered to come rescue me if I got stuck (#friendshipgoals). So, the plane took off and landed in D.C. about two hours behind schedule. I realized I never ate lunch. Times were tough. As soon as we landed, I jumped off the plane with all of the passengers hoping to make their connecting flights. Of course, the gate for my next flight was at the other side of the airport, in a separate terminal. I took the bus to the new terminal and sprinted to my gate. Sinus infection, 4 hours of sleep, starving. It was a joy.
Of course, when I got to the gate, I was informed that it was two hours behind schedule. There was no need for me to rush to the gate. Classic. So, I got some food and waited until the flight was supposed to take off. A lady asked me to stop blowing my nose. I have never given such a dirty look in my life. Two hours passed. The crew timed out. The flight couldn’t take off for another two hours. I got a meal voucher as if that made everything alright.
When I finally got to Richmond Airport, it was around 10pm. My roommate came to get me, and I have never been so glad to see her or a “Welcome to Virginia” sign in my life.
Although this day of delays and stress and rushing and sickness was a lot to handle, it made me realize how lucky I am to be able to just get on an airplane and expect to end up wherever I want. Some people couldn’t dream of flying to visit a friend or go on vacation with their family. So, next time your travel plans are ruined, remember how #blessed you are to be going on an adventure in the first place.