day 1

Day 1 let the festivities begin… I get to the airport about 10 Am. Plenty of time, right? So my itinerary says I’m flying American Airlines. I go to check in and of course, I am not in the system “go try United,” I’m instructed. So I did. Strangely I am not in their system either. The lady behind the counter instructed me to go to Continental. After hearing the same story 3 times, I knew there was a problem… I had an itinerary but it was not real. It had me flying to New York. Something must have gotten screwed up! I went back to United and the next flight out left at 1:25PM. For all the airlines going to Chitown… no problem except my flight to India from Chicago left at 2:45PM. Even with the time change I would have 30 minutes to claim my checked bag, sprint to the train. Take a train to the terminal sprint to the ticket counter. Cut every person in line. Check my bag. Print my boarding pass. Go through security and board my flight… I mean, as high caliber of an athlete as I am (ha-ha, funny) this was pushing it to the limit.

I told the lady to hold on. I called my travel companion Mary Ellen who told me I was supposed to be on the 10AM flight to Chicago! UMMMM why did I not know this?!?! (Turns out I had two Itineraries and I was only sent the first version, not the updated…) So I called mom, nearly in tears, and told her I missed my flight. My world was crumbling. How could I miss my flight to India? Poor Mary Ellen… has to navigate India all alone. Meltdown. Mom comes. She cries. I call dad. Dad says run, run fast or something like that. He felt I could make it, but it would be tight. I kissed mom goodbye one more time then went to check in. the lady gave me my boarding pass, put the tag on my bag that transferred it directly to Indian Airlines, I wouldn’t even have to collect it! Score!

I went through security, then snuck into the presidential club and waited for my flight in about 2 hours. I filled my water bottle one last time with clean fresh water from the tap. Had some cheese and crackers and settled in to watch deadliest catch.

I get ready around 1:00 pm to board my flight, DELAYED to 2:44pm. I now had 14 minutes to complete all objectives before getting on my India flight. Sh*ttttttttttt!!!!!! I called my professors, neither picked up. I called the travel agency that books our flights, she wasn’t very happy. She got me anew flight for India the next day and a hotel in Chicago. The professors decided it would be best if we stuck together. So, Mary Ellen waited at the airport for me.

Finally, I arrived at the airport, ok yay. Let go to the hotel I need to relax. Go to claim my luggage anddddddd, sigh…. It wasn’t there. Naturally. SO I went to the united baggage claim and showed my baggage claim ticket and she said go to Continental, I was on a continental flight. So I did. Waited about 30 minutes for the gentleman to tell me I need to talk to the united representative. COME ON!!!!!

So I went back to united and the lady told me, it was the first day continental and United were sharing responsibilities across the board and no one wanted to take ownership for the other’s mishaps. Awesome… so where my bag… oh right it looks like it is in transit to air India. Nice. Thanks folks. Being that I missed the flight, I knew it was at least still in America. That’s good... I went to the air India counter and they were closed for the day. Come back at 1030 tomorrow. Right. Please let today be over. We called the hotel for the shuttle. And it never came. After 1hour and 40 minutes, we walked to another terminal and picked up another shuttle there.

At the hotel, we each got a drink voucher, the first thing that had went my way. The food was great too. Had a big juicy Beef hamburger, for the last time for 10 weeks, we both passed out in our separate bed nearly immediately upon returning. The beds were soft. The room was climate controlled. It was bliss, simply bliss.

What a day. Only 69 more days to go…, maybe tomorrow I go to India?!?!