Day 1 (Friday, March 7, 2008)
Things started off well today! Key word started. Though I suppose they ended well too. We don’t mind a little adventure now, do we?
This has only been my second solo flight, and my first non-direct flight too, but mom dropped me off at the airport and I didn’t even make her come in with me. ;) No biggie, I’ve only been in and out of IAH since I was what… born? I’m at my gate in plenty of time and get in some reading while we wait 40 minutes past the listed boarding time to actually start getting on the plane. But we’re alright. Dallas is only 41 minutes away according to the pilot and I still have over an hour to kill when we get into DFW around 1pm. And what are the odds… as soon as I get out of the gate and am feverishly hunting down a bathroom, I walk past an Einstein Bros Bagels. Naturally, that is my first stop after the ladies room. I order an asiago cheese bagel toasted with sun dried tomato cream cheese – a delicacy I haven’t had the pleasure of wolfing down since my Einsteins closed 3 years ago.
Things continue to go well as we board our flight for Los Angeles early, around 2. ¡Noooo problema! Until, after sitting at the gate for a good half hour or so, the pilot informs us that we will, in fact, need to de-board so that the mechanics can find the source of some leak or what not. Hm. I’m getting a little anxious since I only had an hour scheduled on my itinerary for making my connecting flight to Kauai. By the time we take off from Dallas at 4:15, it’s been (much) more than an hour and I start praying that this last flight is delayed too. Just fifteen minutes, God!
At least the pilot is funny. As we taxi he reminds us that American Airlines has some of the best flight attendants in the world… and unfortunately they’re all off this weekend.
The flight doesn’t feel as long as I thought it would, and I’m awestruck as we pass over the mountains. After learning more about their (speculated) formation and composition in Geology this semester, I’m quite impressed and appreciative of the texture they give this part of the globe.
As we land at LAX at 5:08 the pilot reminds us to return our seats to their most uncomfortable position. As soon as we’re allowed, I call my trusty mother and ask if she’s checked the status of my last connection. (Only fifteen minutes, God, remember? And we’re good!) But according to her, it’s still on time. A few minutes later, an attendant begins to list baggage claim information and kindly informs us that “Unfortunately, if you’re heading for Lihue, your flight has already departed.”
Drat. That WOULD be the flight that left on time.
At the service desk there are several of us who need to get to the island, so at least I don’t feel as alone as I might have. Unfortunately nothing departs until tomorrow morning (unless we want to fly to Honolulu tonight and sleep in the airport, as there are no hotels [?]). Soooo L.A. it is for tonight! We receive our ticket information for the next day along with hotel and meal vouchers. And then I zoom off to baggage claim because good gravy, if I’m stuck overnight in L.A., I want my stuff!!!
Of course, it isn’t there. I was patient, too.
Several of the other passengers and I wait in line at the baggage services desk where nobody seems to really know what’s going on even though they pretend to. Finally they tell us it should be coming down carousel one in about ten minutes. And sure enough, my suitcase finally arrives! I wanted to dance.
After meeting the passengers in the same predicament as me, I’m much more inclined to stick with them instead of trying to figure everything out on my own. But their luggage hasn’t shown up yet so I sit and wait with them. They’re two couples, who apparently are longtime friends vacationing together. One couple seems to be about my parents’ age and the other is a bit older and he has just retired. We talk about whatever comes up… children and grandchildren, school, the wedding, work. At last more luggage appears and thank heavens, everybody finds their case and we can go to the hotel.
A shuttle takes us to the Hilton where the check-in desk is carefully hidden. But we’re smart and we find it. After going up up up to our rooms on the 6th floor we go back down down down to eat. I think several of us are about to fall asleep while we wait for our food but it comes. We eat. We say goodnight.
Enough adventure for one day, methinks! I will say it’s kind of nice having a room all to myself. I had to decide which bed to sleep it. But I laid on both to see which one I liked better.
And now that I have recorded the excitement from today to my satisfaction, I think I will go sleep. A lot.
Completely exhausted and ready to crash
My view of L.A. at night
World traveler you are now fast becoming, hmmm? It runs strong in your family. Pass on what you have learned...
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