My morning run in Irondequoit yesterday in a snowstorm
There were a select few that we let it on the secret, and now we have finally arrived! And by select few I mean everyone besides three of Chris' closest friends. We had a surprise party for them on our first night back (pictures to come) and it was a complete success. Well done, girlfriends! Kelli, Nicholle, and Elissa, give yourselves a pat on the back.
We had another crazy airport story that I'll leave you with before we spend time with REAL LIVE PEOPLE today!
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Saturday morning Chris and I arrive at the airp- wait. I need to back up a bit.
A few months ago Chris and I were discussing the possibility of him attending a conference in California in February and what I would do in that time if he goes. Even though he hadn't been approved to attend by work yet, we decided to get me going to New York so that I wouldn't be left behind in Belgium alone. Ticket booked.
The next day Chris' trip was approved with the allowance to stay in Rochester for a few days so we extended my trip to the same length.
Fast forward to this past Saturday morning. We got there at 7am with Chris' United flight out at 10 and mine on Delta 11. When I checked in there was an alert about my flight being delayed. I scanned it quickly and didn't look closely enough at which of my flights was delayed so I assumed it was the second one from JFK when I saw the new arrival time was 5:20pm. My original arrival in Rochester was supposed to be 5:15. I wasn't worried. The screens past security confirmed what I thought by assuring me that my first flight was on time at 11:15.
When we were having a Starbucks a few minutes later I began to doubt what I'd seen and we proceeded to a Delta counter to figure it out. After being thoroughly ignored for a half an hour we finally got some attention at 8:30am.
My flight from Belgium was indeed the delayed one. The plane we needed wasn't arriving in Brussels until 1pm and then was expected to leave at 2:40 and arriving at JFK at 5:20. The same time I was supposed to be in Rochester.
Trying to stave off a meltdown I took deep breaths and Chris squeezed my hand and we explained that with the new timeline I was going to miss my connecting flight. "Can I get to New York any sooner?" A few clicks, a boarding pass printing, and just as I am starting to be relieved they explain that they've re-booked my connecting flight from JFK, I'll get into Rochester at 10pm.
Deep breaths.
We have a surprise party that I will now be missing in that instance. Which, yes I know, isn't the end of the world but when you started counting the days to be home again back in mid-January, a few hour delay feels kind of like the end of the world. Especially when you've been up for 20 hours without sleep, anticipating this flight.
"Thank you but I guess what we meant was is there a possibility of still arriving in Rochester close to the same time, maybe near 5pm still?" Voice shaking, tears starting to form. Losing it.
Another phone call, Dutch then French and then Dutch again being exchanged between the people who could change my fate. Every once in awhile I'd hear "Maloney" and "New York" and we waited with bated breath as Chris' boarding time drew nearer and we still didn't have a solution. Call ended.
"We will have to wait. They will check and call me back. Wait here."
9:15 rolls around. Chris is supposed to be boarding. I make him walk down to his gate and hug him goodbye with instructions to tell the girlfriends the issue if I'm late and with the knowledge that we'll either see each other in Rochester at 5 or 10. He'll have to be patient, unfortunately.
5 minutes later he comes back saying there's a huge line. He can wait a little longer with me.
When twenty minutes goes by again with no phone call I make eye contact with the Delta rep that was helping us. I'm sure she saw the misery in my eyes because she immediately picked up the phone and I heard my name being tossed back and forth again.
"Okay, ya okay. Okay tot ziens" Click. "Kelly, you have been booked on a new flight. You will land in JFK at 12:00 and then make your original connecting flight. I cannot print you a boarding pass here. You will have to get one at the busing location to your new terminal. The flight is leaving in thirty minutes. They are boarding now. You will have to run. It is at gate T61. We are at B6."
"Thank you so much!"
The gate attendants look at us again, no expression and they say again "You will have to run, go now!"
Off I went! Coat flapping, semi-large (but appropriately outfit-cute) shoes clicking behind me a la uncomfortable flip flop style, dragging one bag behind me, backpack bouncing on my back, I sprinted through the people packed airport. Quick kiss to Chris at his gate and off again I went to try and make this new flight to JFK.
The next bus over to the T terminal is 8 minutes out. I'm in line behind 6 other people re-routed as well and waiting for their own boarding passes to be printed. When my turn comes the countdown clock is at 1:23. The passes are finally printed (after I spelled out C-a-n-a-n-d-a-i-g-u-a to the bemused attendant) and the timeline is now at 0:03, 2, 1 and I step on the bus as it pulls up.
At the T terminal I resume my frantic running and arrive at the gate with no line (everyone else is already past the check-in) and end up being 5th to last to board. The plane is completely full. I sit down in my seat, thank God and shake with adrenaline for the next three hours of the flight.
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God, you're awesome. You made it almost impossible to remain sane that morning, but I'm still ridiculously thankful that I landed in Rochester an hour after Chris and got to see everyone's faces when they saw their friend back in town.
If you're free over the next two weeks, located near Rochester, and want to get together, let me know! I'm car-less and in Canandaigua from Wednesday on but I know my parents wouldn't mind visitors coming by (and I wouldn't either!)
So, hello again America, we missed you! See you tomorrow :)
