Travel Woes

A few weeks ago I attended the Big Sur Children's Writer's Workshop as faculty (read about my experience over at the Blue Rose Girls). Julie and I were on the faculty, and had reserved the same red eye flight to JFK from San Jose, CA. I had rented a car, and the drive back started out drizzly, resulting in a gorgeous rainbow over Highway One. We had all afternoon to relax before our 10:30 pm flight, and so stopped in Carmel for some shopping. While shopping, I missed a call from an area code I didn't recognize. A half hour later, the same number called: it was Jet Blue, informing me that our flight had been cancelled due to weather. Great. There were no other flights out of San Jose that night. Julie needed to get back to her son, so I asked about San Francisco or Oakland flights. All direct flights were sold out, but there was a flight from SFO to Boston to JFK available, so we booked it. As soon as I hung up I remembered that my rental car needed to be returned to San Jose. No problem, right? I called to change the drop-off location to SFO, but discovered that the change would have added more than $250 to the overall cost, more than twice the original cost, so I declined. I thought about what to do. Take a cab from San Jose to San Francisco?

I had a stroke of genius and called my brother, Felix, who lives in Sunnyvale, about 15-20 minutes from the airport. He came to our rescue and agreed to pick us up at the San Jose airport and drive us to SFO. Hurray! I guess that's what family is for.

The drive up only took a half hour. As we looked for the ticket counter in San Francisco, Julie commented that she felt like we were on Amazing Race. So true, so funny.

We had a two-and-a-half hour layover in Boston in the early morning. We got coffee and breakfast, I nodded off while Julie edited a super-exciting manuscript from a super-famous author. When we finally boarded the plane, Julie said, "I hope 2+ hours was enough time for our luggage to make it on board." I laughed at the time.

We waiting for our luggage in JFK, and Julie's came first. We said goodbye, as her car was waiting, as was her 2-year-old son. I waited for my bag to appear...and waited...and waited. Doom descended.

I finally went into the luggage office and they determined that my bag was still in Boston, but on its way. They gave me a travel voucher for my trouble, and said it would be delivered that afternoon or evening.

I realized that I had stupidly packed my apt keys in my luggage.

I called/texted my roommates, and luckily one of them answered and said I could swing by her office to borrow her keys.

Sitting in traffic on 6th Ave was the worst. So close, but yet so far.

My luggage didn't show up that evening. After calling 4 times, having messages gone unanswered, being told that I would get called back right away, being transferred to countless people, they finally located my bag in Pennsylvania. At 11 pm I got a call that it was finally in the office at JFK, and it's finally delivered the next morning.

****

The weekend after, I was in Boston for the Robert's Snow for Cancer's Cure end-of-auction party, and then drove down to Providence for the RISD Holiday Sale. A bunch of us got dinner together, and we realized we were missing the 7:20 pm train to NY. The next train wasn't till 10:30. After checking out the bus schedule with no luck, we got to the train station around 8:30 and played the waiting game again.

****

My trip home to CA for the Christmas break wasn't quite as exciting as last year. In fact, it was almost the complete opposite. I was prepared. I took a bus from Grand Central. I wasn't checking any luggage. The airport wasn't crowded at all. Took my time, got something to eat, read and napped... and then heard an announcement. Something about a replacement plane...

My 6:45 flight was now an 11:15 pm flight.

Argh.

It could have been worse. It could have been cancelled completely. It could have been worse.

It's funny, because I'm always wishing for more time to read, but when it's forced upon me, I just don't feel like it.

I had two meals while sitting there in the terminal.

There were so many little kids running around, a sight which may have filled many people with dread (kids in terminal=crying kids on plane), but not me. They were adorable.

My poor parents had to pick me up at LAX at 3 in the morning. I went to bed at 4 am, knowing that it was 7 am in NY and most people were waking up and starting their days.

But the good in all of this is hey, I'm on vacation again! Am off till January 2nd. The offices are closed till then, too, so no worries about work and emails piling up. Blissful.

I partially moved into a new office yesterday--I was promoted to Senior Editor (mentioned this at the end of my Monday post on the BRG blog), and with the new title comes a new office. Hurray! Boxes await unpacking when I get back, but it will be nice to start the new year with a new office and more room to organize properly. Pictures to come as soon as I take them.


I'm hoping my travel woes won't continue when I head to Beijing and Shanghai in mid-January. I'm looking forward to that trip, but truthfully, I'm also tired of traveling. But that's nothing that a few weeks of staying home won't cure.

Merry Christmas to those that celebrate it, and Happy New Year!