Travel Day from H-E-L-L

I travel periodically for work.  Last year it was about one trip a month but this year I only have 3 planned trips (YES!).  I don't really mind the travel too much but flying isn't my favorite thing to do for a number of reasons.  I usually feel like crud afterwards, I'm slightly claustrophobic, highly impatient and can't handle delays.  See where I am going with this?

Trip #1 was this week.  Just a quick trip to Virginia.  I love it there and think it is beautiful so I don't mind it.  The week went really well.  I even made it out there before the American Airlines system failure on Tuesday.  Then the midwest storms took over.

Here is how my day went on Thursday.  It began with a final wrap up session at the clients office.  I left there at 9:30am for a two hour drive to Richmond.  I received notice on the way that my flights to Chicago and Des Moines were both cancelled.  After returning my rental car and while standing in line to rebook, I get a call from American saying they had already rearranged my schedule to go through Dallas and instead of getting home at 6pm, I would get into Des Moines at 10pm.  Great, I can handle that.  I get through security, have lunch and settle in to wait for my 2:45 flight.  Of course it gets delayed once...and then again.  Once the plane finally arrives, we find out it has mechanical issues (landing gear issues of all things).  So we wait.

During this waiting game, I am researching alternative routes home and coming to terms with the fact that I might be spending one more night in Virginia.

Miraculously, they ok the plane and we board.  And we wait on paperwork.  The pilot comes on to tell us they spilled gas while filling us up and we cannot take off until it is cleaned up.  In the meantime, two older ladies decide they no longer want to be on the plane and get off.  I'm convinced I am not meant to get home that night as it now appears I'm going to miss my connection.  Did I mention that the lady I sat next to had too much to drink and admitted to getting motion sickness on planes?  Oh and we had quite a bit of turbulence as we flew around the storms.

Finally we land in Dallas.  Guess what?  My flight to Des Moines is delayed 45 minutes.  After another 40 minute delay, we finally take off and arrive home at 11:40 pm.

It was by far my worst travel experience and I have never been more happy to see my own bed.  The good news is that I got a ton of work done at the airport.  Thank goodness for hotspots and virtual desktops!