Ordeal Getting Home and Our "Normal" Life

Well, I really need to document how truly horrendous our trip was home...

Let's see, Derek's mom picked us up and took us to the airport. We got through security at like 4:30 and our flight wasn't until 7:30pm...you just never know with airports. So, we sat around for an hour and just talked. We didn't head to our gate because we wanted to eat at Chili's which was in Terminal A. So, we went to Chili's and ate. Got done at about 6:50pm, and then went to head to our gate which we were told would be in the T gates. Well, we finally found a screen with departures that told us that our flight was at gate T15...and was delayed 'til 8:20....

WHAT!! I automatically started to panic, reached into my bag and saw that our lay over was only an hour...which meant that if we actually left at 8:20...our flight would literally be departing. So, after searching for a United lady I could talk to, she told me that she could only reschedule us for the following night and that we were better off just going on this flight and trying to make it. According to her, chances were very good we would make our flight as long as this flight left AT 8:20.

We left at 8:45...So I'm thinking, "Well, airplanes can make up a LOT of time in the air right?" So I go to sleep, when I wake up the flight attendant tells us that we are beginning our initial descent. But man, it seemed like we had been in the air forever! Well, the plane started going down and in a second the plane was jolting up and down. In about 0.25 seconds Derek had his hat off his head and we were both praying that we wouldn't get in a crash. I have had some bumpy rides on airplanes...but this one was the WORST!! I was seriously scared.

Anyway, we made it safely on the ground. The flight attendant then stated "The local time is not 10:47pm." WHAT!!! We were supposed to get here at 9:35pm!!! The weather had been so bad we had to do circles around it in the air before we could land. Derek and I were sleeping most of the time and didn't even realize we had been up that long. So THEN, we get OFF the plane without ANY instructions from any of the flight attendants, look around, and there are absolutely NO united personnel anywhere to tell us what to do.

So I send Derek one way to find a help desk and I go another. Mind you, we have no idea where our bags our. I finally found some kiosks that are supposed to be "help" and right as I am about to use one, they all turn off. I glanced up and saw a sign right above them "Kiosks: Open 9am-11pm." They were now closed!! AHH!! And what was more annoying was by that time I had called Derek and he had left his spot in line to come over to me since I thought I would be quicker. Well, The Lord must have been looking out for us a little bit because we ended up finding a lone kiosk that was open. There was a phone by it and I was able to get a lady to help us change flights to Frontier that left at 7:00am the following morning. So then we had to find a United lady to print off some itineraries, then we had to go find a Frontier lady to print off boarding passes for us and have our bags be transfered to that frontier flight, then we had to find a hotel to stay in (which we had to pay for), and last but not least, I had to find a ride to take us to Provo in the morning. AND it was 11:30 at night AND the last shuttle to any aiport left at 12:30am so we only had 1 hour to do all of that. To make a LONG story short, we were able to accomplish everything by 12:20am.

Well, we got to our hotel at freaking 1:00am...and left at 4:30am...why did we even get a hotel? We still don't really know...So, we take our flight, everything is wonderful and we arrive in Salt Lake...and our bags are lost. Not only that, neither Frontier NOR United want to take responsibility for losing them or finding them for me. It was RIDICULOUS! The Indian lady at Frontier gave me the worst service I have nearly ever had at an airport...and to make a long story short, we got our bags that night around 8:00pm...ugh!! It was horrible! And what was worse, my contacts were in my eyes for almost 48 hours!! ugh...

Anyway, it's kind of comical to relive that now...but while it was happening...it was HORRIBLE! Plus, there are like a million other little details that made it worse, and now funnier but...oh well...that's a LOT to type.



So, Derek and I got to spend a night with Uncle Mike and Aunt Julie, see my mom for 1 1/2 days which was GREAT!, AND I got to go to Education week with my mom for a day! It was AWESOME. I think I will try to go with her again in the future once Derek and I are out of school and have a little bit more money. I love my mom and I'm SO grateful I was able to see her!

On Wednesday we were able to pick up Jaclyn from the airport and spend a night visiting with her at her friend's house. It was GREAT! We were going to stay longer...but it was kind of awkward since she was only in Utah because her friend had bought her a plane ticket to come out and see her. So...we decided to leave the following morning. It was good seeing her while it lasted.

On Friday, Derek and I had a TON of chores to get done. Right when Derek was finishing the last chore, by picking up our bicycle, a lady backed up into our car. Oh yeah, we had JUST had $2,500 of work done to it and had just got it out of the shop 3 days earlier. So...now it is back in the shop having to get a new door and probably some mechanical work done. Luckily it wasn't Derek's fault so we don't have to pay anything. Amazingly enough, when Derek called and told me, I just said "oh, ok. Well...that's life." I was kinda shocked and proud of myself. It didn't really both me at all! I mean yeah, it sucked. But I could deal with it. That is a major accomplishment for me! But in all honesty, now was the best time for it to happen and we are at peace with it.

So now Derek and I are just enjoying our last week or two before school starts, and I gotta say, I am loving it!! WOO!!! So...now that I finally feel that I am all caught up with my blogging, I'm gonna go read some more. My 2nd book in 3 days. I'm on a roll!!! Although I do have some school stuff I should be working on....

hehe