The Long Way Home

Okay, so I've been really really really slack on updating my blog. Kind of been just blah about it, though I keep thinking I should update, but then I remember how behind I am and how long my next blog's going to be so I just put it off another day. Great way to get even more behind, eh? :p

So, I figured I'd just add things in piecemeal style. So if things aren't in chronological order or whatnot, my apologies.

I don't remember too much of anything leading up to my departure from Grenada. I did study the morning of my Substance Abuse final on the Black Sand beach. As you can see from the pics, I was only mildly distracted at times ^_~

JuMp!

Go little crabs, go!

I've gotta find out how to put color into these b/w pics...

I did find out that I got an A in that class.. though not due to my spectacular work on the final.. heh. Dr. Amuleru-Marshall even told me to take my exam back and look it over after I turned it in. That was nice of him, but I don't think I really made any changes that helped my grade any. It was my Ecstasy presentation that gave me just what I needed to get that A. Yay! So that was cool. Made me happy :)

Hmm.. So yeah, my departure from Grenada was fraught with danger, deceit, and foul play. Okay, not really, but that makes it sound a bit more interesting than what really happened. Well, I had called the night before my departure to arrange for a taxi to pick me up at 9:30AM to take me to the airport (my flight was at 10:55am). Dexter (the taxi driver) said that would be fine, so it was all good. Thursday morning came and I woke early, wolfed down some food and double checked everything, then went downstairs to wait for the taxi. 9:45... no taxi. So I give Dexter a call, just to make sure he hadn't forgotten me, and he tells me that he just found out that his eldest daughter had died of leukemia in Miami the night before so he was presently at the airport trying to find a flight out of Grenada to Miami. He apologized for forgetting and gave me the number of another taxi driver who came about 15 min later and transported me and my single Pullman to the doors of the airport.

Flew on Liat with no difficulties. Arrived in Barbados and was stuck in the check out line for over an hour, though I was second in line. Apparently they were having computer problems so hence the delay. Funny thing was that the security dude, Michael, who checked my bag, gave me his number and told me to call him when I come back to Barbados and had time, he'd take me on a tour... Considering his offer... yeah, I prob lost his number already. He was nice and kind of cute, but alas somewhat young (20, okay, so not really that bad :p) and though innocent looking, perhaps treachery was afoot! Ahem. Pardon my dramatics. But yeah, it wasn't really all that big of a deal with that wait since I had almost 2 hours anyway even after that hour wait before my flight with American Airlines to Miami left, during which I napped, albeit uncomfortably.. .I have got to remember not to sit in front of the A/C vent...

I had awesome seats on my Barbados to Miami flight. A whole row all to myself, of which I proceeded to sprawl across and sleep. Let me tell you, it was great *contented sigh*. Must try to arrange for a repeat of that experience on the flight back...

Well, there was some bad weather with rain and lightening in the Miami area so our flight was delayed landing. We circled NASA for a bit and entered into some "holding pattern" while waiting. When we finally landed we waited yet another 45-50 min on the runway for our dock to be cleared. I wasn't too worried at this time since my flight from Miami to Atlanta was still an hour away.

Passport control was a mess, which was of course where I had to go through next before I could actually enter the heart of the airport. I was stuck in line for almost, or at least what seemed like 2 hours. Not moving. The story was that the guy in the front didn't have his papers in order so hence the standstill. I kept thinking that if I just changed lines... but I've watched Office Space and I was also convinced that knowing my "luck" I'd end up worse off than I was before. I was prob wrong about that oh well *sighs*. Anyway, I got all my fruit I had hoped to bring back home confiscated because I was stupid enough to declare them. Stupid, stupid. Ah well. Guava and Wax Apples. Great stuff. Don’t' have Wax Apples in the States but I used to love getting them when in Taiwan. Some of my fav fruit.

Anywho, because of the manifold delays encountered I missed my flight to Atlanta. And that was the last flight out to Atlanta. I waited in yet another line with other disgruntled passengers of other flights who had also missed their flights to see what the airline was going to do to rectify the situation. Well, apparently not too much. They "couldn't" provide me with accommodation at any of the Miami hotels because supposedly they were all booked up due to Spring Break. I also didn't receive any food vouchers, though I saw other passengers who did get them. The attendant though was nice, Marlon, I think his name was. He let me use his cell phone when mine ran out of minutes so I was able to call Bruce and let him know I wouldn't be needing that ride, and my bro to let him know I'd be spending the night at the airport. I was able to book a flight for 6:25am to Charlotte which actually is closer to Greenville than Atlanta.

Thence began my occupation of the airport.... I was actually getting quite tired by this point (around 10-11pm EST, but 11pm-12am ATL) and hungry so I found the floor that I needed to be on, got some food (some sort of Cuban or other with too much meat not enough anything else) and after walking back and forth towing my Pullman behind me to find the gate terminal area I needed to be to check out later that morning I found myself a niche and set my things in order...

Looks comfy, no? See that little hollow space in the middle of all my things? That's me pad...

I, along with about 800 other passengers, spent that night on the barely-softened-by-carpeting concrete floor of the Miami airport. They passed out blankets and pillows they took from incoming flights, but somehow I never managed to get my hands on any. I had fortunately packed my pillow because I wanted to change it for another at home and was able to have at least that comfort along with my squishy pillow! (yay!) I laid it across my suitcase and attempted to find that illusive sleep. And illusive it was. I woke almost every 30-45 min and each time, there would be more people on huddled on the floor. Families huddled around columns, couples leaning against each other against the counters. And then there were people like me, by ourselves who were so exhausted we didn't care where we slept, or who was watching or around us and found any open area and plopped ourselves and belongs down upon our temporarily claimed territory.

I must say that while I did not "enjoy" per se the experience, it's not one that I look back on with disgust or cringe at. I rather think I found it intriguing and not really too upset at it but took it for the new experience it was. Weird perhaps, but I'm kind of glad I've had the opportunity so now I can say that I know what it's like to sleep in an airport on the floor surrounded by hundreds of strangers *grins*. Others have it so much worse, so how can I be so prudish or pompous as to complain all that much, money paid or not?

So about 5 hours later, around 4am, people begin to stir. The check-in counters opened at 5, so I got up and went to wait in line. Lo and behold there was already a decently sized lined formed. Don't these people sleep?! Anywho, the airline was kind enough to open at 4:30 and once they had more personnel working the counters, things began moving right along. I checked-in, went and located my gate and sat down for another wait. The bus arrived to take us to our little plane and we boarded. I sat next to a woman who had just flown in on an all night flight from Chile. We then sat in the plane for another hour. Our flight out was delayed because the plane did not have the proper decals and paperwork so we would be flying illegally. After the paperwork was filed, we then had to wait for the plane to be refueled. You'd think they'd have done that before we boarded, but apparently not. Our plane was quite chilly and the lady next to me kept bugging the attendant about it so she finally turned on the heat (thank goodness). I don't know what it is about flight attendants, but you kind of think they're supposed to be these nice and friendly people who at least appear to like their job and like people, but I've come across some very nasty attendants. Dunno what their problem is *shrugs*.

But well, I arrived in Charlotte about an hour late. The weather was dismal and oh my word it was COLD!!! I know, I know, it's still winter, but after being used to the Caribbean weather it was a bit mm... chill. Here's me walking out of the airport in sandals and short-sleeves and it's like 30 degrees out. Heh. On the car ride back, Bruce had to put up with me bemoaning how much I missed Grenada *laughs*.

Blog of Epic Proportions, To be continued...