So you think that your trip and all the adventure is over once you arrive to the airport. That from there it's just long lines and sitting on planes for hours, but besides that: you're headed home.
Wrong.
From the beginning, our epic journey to TRY to please, Lord, just make it home was one event after another that you just have to look back on and laugh at.
It started off in the Granada airport where for some reason some of our boarding passes for our 3rd connection - JFK to Dulles, Washington DC - were not printing, as if we had not been booked for that flight.
Oh, JFK, if that were the only problem you had given me...
The best way to summarize what happened and every problem that arose after that was: it got turbulent (we even considered writing a rap!)
While we were landing into NYC, the plane was shaking and bouncing all over the place, and all of us were seriously worried we might crash. Once we are all waiting at the baggage claim, the Spanish airline Iberia informs the flight (only in Spanish) that they are having trouble opening the door to retrieve everyone's luggage because of the strong wind gusts.
"Give me a crowbar and I'll pop that bad boy wide open!" Pete responds jokingly.
Because Iberia was only giving their announcements in Spanish, it only increased the confusion, and tempers escalataed when they finally announced that it was "ABSOLUTEMENTE IMPOSIBLE" for them to get our luggage for us. Our entire team just laughed at the ridiculousness of it all, but one guy, awesome New York accent and all yells, "This is America! Speak English!"
Oh, America...it's good to be home.
Also because of the inclement weather, and let me say, inclement seems like such a soft word to describe how bad the weather was, they cancelled our flight to DC. It was a stressful process to try to get us all booked on another flight to DC, and I applaud Pete for being able to keep his cool during this entire, crazy adventure of getting home.
THEN they kept cancelling our alternate flights to DC! It felt as if we were truly stuck in Terminal 4 of JFK: never to get out. The word "trapped" comes to mind.
So there we were, looking like a bunch of vagabonds, camped out in Terminal 4, sitting next to a Verizon in Spain ad nonetheless. But we tried to make the best of it. I was so proud of my team, it is definitely hard not to just be upset and complain during this whole situation, but instead they just found the humor in everything. Pete even had us perform our skits and the Cupid Shuffle for Terminal 4! We earned 27 cents! So now we're famous...in Terminal 4 of JFK at least.
After cancellation after cancellation, one of the moms of a student on our team generously offered to drive all the way from Northern Virginia to NYC to pick us up at JFK. We were so grateful!
I was finally on my way home to my family, and when my dad picked me up looking tired and a mess, he commented, "You look like you just came off the boat."
True. But I was home. With a whole new Spain experience under my belt and memories to last a lifetime.
And that's my two cents.
:)
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