And cuddling with my puppy
And having sleepovers with my boys
And spending quality time with my siblings
Time has absolutely flown by! And speaking of flying....let me share with you the experience I had getting myself to Brussels! Friday afternoon my dear friend and colleague Maureen dropped me off at the airport in Charlotte. The plan was to leave CLT at 2:35pm, land in Philadelphia at 5:30pm, then leave Philly at 6:15pm for an arrival in Brussels of 7:55am Saturday. We boarded the plane and were taxiing away from the gate when the pilot came on to tell us there was some bad weather in Philadelphia and there was a temporary "ground stop" - meaning no planes were going in to or coming out of Philly. Then 20 minutes later we were pulling back up to the gate as the ground stop had changed from 10 minutes to an hour. OH, and our toilets were not working so we all needed to get off the plane so they could fix the toilets. And as the minutes ticked by, I had a sinking feeling I was not going to be making it to Brussels by the morning. We didn't even end up leaving Charlotte until almost 5:30pm. By the time I landed in Philadelphia, the Brussels flight had left and the gate agents had graciously rebooked me for the exact same flight 24 hours later. They had suggested I also go visit the Special Services line as they may be able to book me on a flight to Manchester which had a connection to Brussels coming in earlier than I would be the following day. When I got to the line, there were only about 15-20 people in front of me - so I got in line and began my wait....my very long wait. While in line I heard the "final boarding call for flight *** to Manchester" and I knew I wasn't making it to that flight either.
While I was in Charlotte, I had asked the gate agent what I would have to do if I missed my flight. She kindly informed me that because there were maintenance issues, I should be put up in a hotel free of charge. When I got off my flight in Philly, I was given a slip of paper basically saying "call this number and we will help you find a cheap hotel (that you will pay for)". Rather than take that pink slip, I decided to wait in line and see if I could talk my way in to a free night at a hotel. After 2+ hours in line, I walked up to the service person, and just smiled and said "I don't know how you do this all day long!" to which she replied "neither do I!". So we chatted a bit while she tried to see if she could find another connection for me. When that failed, she said, "I see there were mechanical issues on your flight. Even though the delay was due to weather, I'm going to give you a hotel voucher. I will probably get in trouble, but I don't care!" I thanked her a million times and headed outside to meet the shuttle to the Hilton, right next to the airport.
Once I got to the hotel, I hopped on Facebook - that's the logical next step right!? After posting a status about my troubles, I was working on a text message to send to my friend Jen Radwanski. Jen was my supervisor back in the summer of 2010 when I was a NODA (national orientation directors association) intern at Stockton College in Pomona, NJ. Jen and her husband Steve - and now baby Avery - live just about an hour from Philadelphia. As I was beginning my message to her, I saw that she had commented on my FB status! It was meant to be! Next thing you know, we have planned for them to come and pick me up from the hotel, take me to lunch and then back to the airport! Since my flight didn't leave until 6:10pm, we had plenty of time! I haven't seen Jen or Steve since I left NJ so I was beyond excited to see them!
Right away, we picked up exactly where we left off! Lauren and Jen, talking away, while Steve drove us around and worked to get in a few words where he could :o) They took me to my - and their- absolute favorite place in Philly: Reading Terminal Market!!! They have food from EVERYWHERE and it is all delicious! It was just so so so great to see them and catch up! I'm still kicking myself that we didn't get a picture together!!!
So Jen and Steve took me back to the airport, only to be greeted by another familiar face! Miss Melina and her mom Nancy drove up from their home NJ - again, about an hour away -just to see me for a few short moments! Melina was one of the students I worked with every day while I was in NJ. She was so welcoming from day 1 and we have kept in contact ever since. She is graduating in May with a degree in Education and it is very obvious she loves what she does! I wish her nothing but the best in finding a full time job and continuing to be a role model for young men and women!!!
What an absolutely wonderful way to leave the country! The lady sitting next to me on my flight from Charlotte to Philadelphia kept saying over and over "Everything happens for a reason". I truly believe my reason was so that I could see my long lost friends and have a beautiful last memory in the US!
Love this girl!
Don't mind me...just wearing the same clothes from the previous day and exhausted - though I did get to shower!
And finally, I was on my way to Brussels! Aside from my headphones not working (and I was not about to pay $5 for a pair on the plane) and a minor medical emergency for the lady sitting behind me who was passed out, the trip was quick and successful! As I handed my passport to the man in the customs line, it all became real. He asked me how long I would be in Brussels and my response was "This is my new home".
