A Halloween Travel Nightmare

Several of you have been total sweethearts and have checked in on my whereabouts and safety due to Hurricane Sandy hitting smack-dab in the middle of my scheduled trip back to the East Coast. It was really quite frustrating to be in the midst of blue sky, 80 degree weather, palm trees, and the ocean and to still be thinking about/figuring out travel arrangements back to the area about to be hit by this "Frankenstorm." I figured I'd be stuck in California until the end of the week since my Tuesday evening arrival in DC wasn't looking too promising.

Thanks to Southwest being AMAZING and offering all those whose flights would be affected by the hurricane to reschedule their flights at no charge at all, I was able to fly in late Sunday night. We were told it was THE last flight into Dulles Airport. If I had taken any later flight, I would be stuck in no man's land. God was sure looking out for me on that one.

And the travel gods were surely looking out for me that day as well. I made it from my hotel, to the rental car office, on the shuttle to the airport, dropped off my luggage, went through security, and was sitting at my gate in twenty minutes. Twenty! 

It was a crazy hectic day to be traveling that day. We had a layover in Chicago without a change in planes. As we landed there, the pilot said, "Well, those of you traveling on to DC... your fight has not been cancelled yet." Nice. So, those of us continuing on, stayed on the plane and all huddled together to talk about what we had heard about the storm/travel. Way to go, team!

I am sure after reading this post on my crazy flying rituals, you all can only imagine how thrilled I was to fly through the air while "the storm of a lifetime" was about to hit. The countless warnings from the pilot about "keeping the fasten seatbelt sign on" did not make me feel any more assured. Nor did the announcement that the flight attendants needed to collect trash early and return to their seats. I prepared for the worst. And took pictures to distract myself.

Oh, did I mention how a guy decided to chat me up while standing in line to board the plane in San Diego? During our layover in Chicago, he made it a point to come sit next to me on the plane and continue to chat me up. This did not go over well when my flying rituals began.  I mean, seriously... can't you see that I am trying to pray here?! Back off, homeboy. And then I got made fun of for burying my head in my hand during take-off. AND he used MY tray table because he was busy watching a movie on his laptop... which he invited me to watch along with him. I declined.

And when the turbulence got unbearable and I really buried my head in my hand, not only did he tell me I shouldn't do that because it would only make me more dizzy [thanks, dude, but I think I know what works for me] he put his hand on my knee and said, "It'll be okay." I beg your pardon?! 

That plane could not have landed soon enough.

I landed. Then got hit by the hurricane. Then lost power for 36 hours. Why did I leave California early again? What's one of your travel nightmares?

Oh, and Happy Halloween :) Michael Myers [my biggest fear] comes out tonight...