The Beginning

Well, well, well! it's going to be a bit difficult to try and go back through the horrifying
steps of the first day, but if you want it, you'll get it!

Thursday, August 25th: Original Departure Date

We met at 10:30 for breakfast at Lizards thicket. This included mom and buzz, dad, sarah and mema and meredith and pag. it was nice and sweet, with a few laughs thrown in. My dad was emotional as always and my mom's volume was up there. At that point, it still hadn't really hit me that I was leaving the country. I mean it really didn't. Not until we were going through the scanner did I realize, we are about to enter another world.

We say our goodbyes, we cry like babies and Phil and I wave the entire path down to our gate. It was so hard to see my parents crying but I knew it would be part of the journey and I figured out this point, it would only happen once. We arrive at our gate early, some of the first people there and we wait and wait and wait.

I am hopeful it will all work out and the plane ride will go smoothly. You see, we had purchased cheaper tickets three months prior to this via an employee through a buddy pass. We understood these passes were not a sure thing, and we may have to be placed on another flight, but we did understand they would work. We had confirmations, we paid for them, we got through checking out baggage, etc. What could possibly go wrong?

Well i'll tell you!

First of all the flight filled up. Soldiers were missing flights and asian ladies with their sons were missing connections, they all headed to our plane since they had first dibs. I was sweatily counting the people going down the tube to arrive to the plane. I knew once I hit 47 that would be the maximum. There was also a weight limit this particular day for fuel so the usual 55 seats was not valid.

I counted 45 and still carried that last ounce of hope. Then two more stragglers got the seats. Even if the stragglers didn't get them, there were two other men on standby for the flight. We were a bit crushed but knew we could reschedule and wait for the next ones. We talked to a kind and busy gateperson and they suggested we talk to the employee to get it figured out.

What I didn't tell you earlier is that this person was laid off two weeks prior to departure. We confirmed with him our tickets would still be valid but once we went to the check in area and spoke to a manager, our luck changed.

We waited outside a gray door shaking our feet and worrying about how long we'd have to wait for the next flight.

we did have reservations to make in Glasgow afterall.

20 minutes later, a woman came out with a phone number and insensitively said "call this number for your refund" Phil and I were numb. A trip we'd been planning for over three months is now just cancelled, just like that?!

Phil was mad. I've never seen him mad but he was mad. My mom and Buzz were pulling back up to pick us up when we told them the bad news. Surely I thought my mom would be able to do something. she moves mountains with her voice! she stormed in there, patiently waited in line and asked to speak to someone about this matter. No one would budge. We pleaded to get a valid buddy pass from another employee, offered cash, explained the situation, begged almost for another way. This was not just a leisurely trip, my school was waiting, our reservations were waiting and the time we put into this was filled up.

We were crying all day, just like in a movie where people cry in the airport all day!

Buzz flies a lot so he had some Delta employees assist us. They booked Phil a new flight for 2,000 and booked me one for 3,000. it was heartbreaking. At this point I didnt want to do it without Phil. He just had to go. This was OUR time that we so desperately needed. We were exhausted and full of emotions. It really hurt that no one would help us. We ended up having to be re-booked with the airline that screwed us over because they had the cheapest ticket of them all. Which is basically the reason they needed our money i guess.

We went home, doubted it all, worried about money and worried about the trip. having to say all of those goodbyes again and having to feel that pain again. we had dinner at D's wings with Meredith and Pag, vented to them and when we got home, we cried ourselves to sleep.

The next day, the goodbyes were a lot less difficult. It was more like a "get out of here already" than a "don't leave!"

So friday we started it all over again. the same flight, but a guaranteed spot. We were excited.

Looking back to then I am glad that we made it work. Phil helped me so much with everything. Even though his credit card is ridiculous now and even though it could have all been avoided, we made it!

This was the beginning to a heartfelt and loving vacation with my baby.

Here are some photos of us waiting at the gate - day 2 - tired and excited!