Traveling sucks! Unless of course you happen to be traveling for a vacation. I guess I should explain.
I left my parents' house at 2:30 Wed. afternoon and arrived at the Detroit airport around 3:15. No problem for my 5:00 flight. Checking in was terrible and extremely slow. They only had 2 people working at the American Airlines check in when I got there. I waited in line for quite some time before a lady asked me if I already had my boarding pass. I told her no, and she told me to use one of the kiosks to check in. I tried to explain that I couldn't but she wanted to know why. I had tried to check in online on Wed. morning but I wasn't allowed. The computer told me to check in with an attendant at the airport. Instead of arguing I went to an available kiosk and tried. It didn't come as a surprise when I was told to see an attendant. So I waited in the first class line (I wished I was traveling first class) and spoke to the lady there. She checked me in. I think it had something to do with the international flight being a different carrier, although I didn't think that should have been a problem since Etihad and American are partners. Oh well. I got checked in. Mom and Dad came with me and they wanted to go to the gate like they did last year, but the lady wouldn't let them. She said they could only go to the gate if I was in the military or under 12. New rule evidently, or just a rule for American since they came back last year. She wasn't really that nice. Mom tried to explain that I was going to Abu Dhabi for a year, but she didn't care. So Mom and Dad talked to a couple of TSA agents and they both said that if they could get a gate pass they could come back and that getting a gate pass was up to the individual airline. Stupid American Airlines! We ended up waiting out in the lobby for a while before I had to go through security. Saying good-bye was hard, but I know that I will see them in March. That made it a bit easier. Security and the flight to Chicago we very easy. The flight left at 5pm and I arrived in Chicago at 4:58. Weird! That's really 5:58 since Chicago is an hour behind Detroit.
Once in Chicago I made my way to the international terminal and checked in with Etihad. I asked for exit row seats, but unfortunately there weren't any avaiable. So I tried my second option which was getting an aisle seat. Those weren't available either. I was stuck in the middle. The guy was really nice though and he kept looking and trying to find me something. He did move me up to the front of the plane and into a row with only 3 people instead of 4 and he told me to check at the gate because something may open up. I thanked him for trying and headed to find something to eat prior to going through security. Once you go through security at the international terminal there is nothing but a few kiosks and all the gates. I stopped at the food court and had a sandwich and lemonade. I made it through security and to my gate at 6:30, an hour before my scheduled boarding time, 2 hours before take off. When the gate crew arrived, one of the members was the same man that was doing the check in, I went to see if any seats had become available. No luck, but he did say that he would let me know. I guess I just wasn't meant to be comfortable on the 14 hour flight because nothing became available. I squeezed into my middle seat and tried to stretch my legs as best I could. I knew I was going to have to get up many times during this flight. Oh well to the guy sitting next to me, I'd just have to bother him.
Turns out I was sitting next to a lady going over to be a school psychologist and across from a lady who was returning for her 2nd year. We chatted about school and our vacations and that helped the time to go by quicker than last year. I think I may have slept more than I did last year, but not much maybe like 4-6 hours total. I finished reading a book, watched Water for Elephants (great movie:), and chatted with the people sitting next to and across from me. I did get up every 2-3 hours to stretch and walk.
We were supposed to arrive Thursday at 7:25 and I thought we were going to be late since we left Chicago late, but we got to Abu Dhabi at 6:30. We could have been there even earlier if we didn't leave late! I made it through passport control and security without any hassles and I went to claim my luggage. The only issue with being early was I had arranged for a taxi to come and get me at 8:30 and I was ready at 7:30 so he sent a friend and I made it back to Al Ain by 9:15. I guess traveling sucks because it was a day and a half affair. That's too long to be on an airplane and in a car. Other than that though everything was fine and I arrived exhausted and slept for 11 1/2 hours!
School starts Sunday for teachers so I have 1 day to relax and recover from any jet-lag (right now I'm not feeling anything) and 1 day to do errands (shopping and get my car). Then it's back to reality. Who knows what this year will bring, but it can only be better than last year. Right? I mean I already know what to expect at school (which really isn't much), the students, the school, the teachers, where I live, where to shop, and all that other settling in nonsense that I had to deal with last year.
Check back on Sunday for an update about school!
102 degrees at 1:15. I am not ready for this heat!!! It was in the mid to upper 70s when I left and now I'm back to 3 digit temperatures:( At least the humidity isn't that bad!
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