**Warning, I DO curse. So if you're sensitive to that, I'm sorry. I try not to do it too often, and replace it where the emphasis isn't needed**
Wow, where to start with today...
So, the plan for today was thus: Wake up 6am, drop my car off with my carsitter (Thanks Jonathan!), catch a ride to RDU and rent a car, drive to mi bro's place in DC to drop stuff off, drop car off at IAD and check in for flight, fly to MIA, fly to Lima. Simple enough, right?
Here's what really happened...
Step 1 - Wake up at 6:00am
I wake up in my sleeping bag (yes, I'm sleeping on my floor) 10 minutes before my alarm. Ugh, nothing worse, especially after getting home late after drinks with everybody last night.
Status: Moderate Fail
Step 2 - Drop my car off with my carsitter
After a shower and drying off with a packing towel the size of a napkin (my bigger one is packed), I hurry to drop of my car over in Carrboro. Arriving 15 minutes late, everything with the drop goes smoothly: car is safe, key is secured, everything needed to drop at bro's is transferred.
Status: Success
Step 3 - Catch a ride to RDU and rent a car
Justin Edwards, saint of a friend that he is, is right on time and we make it to RDU right on time. It shouldn't take to long to grab a car, right? Just walk in the terminal and talk to the rental agencies, right? WRONG. Having not rented a car at RDU, evidently the rental agencies are sequestered to the hinterlands of the airport. So upon the sage advise of Mr. Edwards, instead of me hopping the shuttle and driving back, we just drive over there and secure the car. However, this has now burned enough time as to make me worry about having enough time to get to DC...
Status: Moderate Fail
Step 4 - Drive to mi bro's place in DC and drop things off
Now master of my domain, in my sporty compact Hyundai, I hit the road for DC. Confident that I can make up time. However, about 30 minutes out of RDU on 85, I breathe and go to turn on the cruise control and relax. And the car has no f-ing cruise control?! Who, since the invention of cruise control, does not put that in a car; it's like two buttons, it can't be that hard. Now unable to moderate my lead foot with the rationality that is cruise control, I make excellent time to DC! Thankfully there weren't any police along the way, because I'm pretty sure I broke every speed limit. Luckily, I arrive safely in DC and make a successful drop of stuff.
Status: Moderate Success
Step 5 - Drop car off at IAD and check in for flight
I quickly make it to IAD and drop my car off at the rental agency. I am now smugly pleased with myself that this whole plan is coming together and I'll be a whole 3 hours ahead of my flight! I take the shuttle into the terminal area and notice that my airline (LAN) isn't listed under the airlines at the terminals: interesting. No worries, maybe it's under a domestic carrier. I hop off the shuttle and head into the check-in area. Wandering around for a while I get a bad feeling and decide to check my ticket confirmation to see if they listed a domestic carrier. Pulling it up, I notice that the airport listed is not the one I'm standing in, but DCA. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply, I can feel my heart going now. How long does it take to get back to DCA? How much time does that leave me to check in? Isn't bro's place RIGHT THE FUCK NEXT TO DCA?
I calmly realize that it only takes 30minutes to get back there, and hurriedly go down to find a taxi. Hopping in with Muhammed (my taxi driver), I relay my situation to him and emphasize that the faster we could get there the better. Somehow, by all things holy, Muhammed works some magic and gets me there in 25 minutes: plenty of time to checkin (and even get lunch!). I sigh deeply, realizing that the money I just spent on a cab a) was more than it took me to rent a car between RDU and IAD and b) completely negated any financial benefit of coming to DC for a flight. Ugh.
Status: EPIC Fail
Step 6 - Fly to MIA
Flight to MIA went exceeding well as far as I can tell. I passed out before takeoff and didn't wake up right before landing. Funny aside: there was a group of school kids on the plane who, as we sat IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY, decided that it was a great time to start deplaning. They opened all of the overhead bins, got their bags out and were standing in the aisle when the plane started moving again. Le sigh.
Status: Success
Step 7 - Fly to LIM
Currently sitting in MIA with a well needed beer.
Status: TBD
HUGE thanks to all the friends and family (including Muhammed the taxi driver!) for getting me through today. Below are some pictures...
Wow, where to start with today...
So, the plan for today was thus: Wake up 6am, drop my car off with my carsitter (Thanks Jonathan!), catch a ride to RDU and rent a car, drive to mi bro's place in DC to drop stuff off, drop car off at IAD and check in for flight, fly to MIA, fly to Lima. Simple enough, right?
Here's what really happened...
Step 1 - Wake up at 6:00am
I wake up in my sleeping bag (yes, I'm sleeping on my floor) 10 minutes before my alarm. Ugh, nothing worse, especially after getting home late after drinks with everybody last night.
Status: Moderate Fail
Step 2 - Drop my car off with my carsitter
After a shower and drying off with a packing towel the size of a napkin (my bigger one is packed), I hurry to drop of my car over in Carrboro. Arriving 15 minutes late, everything with the drop goes smoothly: car is safe, key is secured, everything needed to drop at bro's is transferred.
Status: Success
Step 3 - Catch a ride to RDU and rent a car
Justin Edwards, saint of a friend that he is, is right on time and we make it to RDU right on time. It shouldn't take to long to grab a car, right? Just walk in the terminal and talk to the rental agencies, right? WRONG. Having not rented a car at RDU, evidently the rental agencies are sequestered to the hinterlands of the airport. So upon the sage advise of Mr. Edwards, instead of me hopping the shuttle and driving back, we just drive over there and secure the car. However, this has now burned enough time as to make me worry about having enough time to get to DC...
Status: Moderate Fail
Step 4 - Drive to mi bro's place in DC and drop things off
Now master of my domain, in my sporty compact Hyundai, I hit the road for DC. Confident that I can make up time. However, about 30 minutes out of RDU on 85, I breathe and go to turn on the cruise control and relax. And the car has no f-ing cruise control?! Who, since the invention of cruise control, does not put that in a car; it's like two buttons, it can't be that hard. Now unable to moderate my lead foot with the rationality that is cruise control, I make excellent time to DC! Thankfully there weren't any police along the way, because I'm pretty sure I broke every speed limit. Luckily, I arrive safely in DC and make a successful drop of stuff.
Status: Moderate Success
Step 5 - Drop car off at IAD and check in for flight
I quickly make it to IAD and drop my car off at the rental agency. I am now smugly pleased with myself that this whole plan is coming together and I'll be a whole 3 hours ahead of my flight! I take the shuttle into the terminal area and notice that my airline (LAN) isn't listed under the airlines at the terminals: interesting. No worries, maybe it's under a domestic carrier. I hop off the shuttle and head into the check-in area. Wandering around for a while I get a bad feeling and decide to check my ticket confirmation to see if they listed a domestic carrier. Pulling it up, I notice that the airport listed is not the one I'm standing in, but DCA. Closing my eyes and breathing deeply, I can feel my heart going now. How long does it take to get back to DCA? How much time does that leave me to check in? Isn't bro's place RIGHT THE FUCK NEXT TO DCA?
I calmly realize that it only takes 30minutes to get back there, and hurriedly go down to find a taxi. Hopping in with Muhammed (my taxi driver), I relay my situation to him and emphasize that the faster we could get there the better. Somehow, by all things holy, Muhammed works some magic and gets me there in 25 minutes: plenty of time to checkin (and even get lunch!). I sigh deeply, realizing that the money I just spent on a cab a) was more than it took me to rent a car between RDU and IAD and b) completely negated any financial benefit of coming to DC for a flight. Ugh.
Status: EPIC Fail
Step 6 - Fly to MIA
Flight to MIA went exceeding well as far as I can tell. I passed out before takeoff and didn't wake up right before landing. Funny aside: there was a group of school kids on the plane who, as we sat IN THE MIDDLE OF THE RUNWAY, decided that it was a great time to start deplaning. They opened all of the overhead bins, got their bags out and were standing in the aisle when the plane started moving again. Le sigh.
Status: Success
Step 7 - Fly to LIM
Currently sitting in MIA with a well needed beer.
Status: TBD
HUGE thanks to all the friends and family (including Muhammed the taxi driver!) for getting me through today. Below are some pictures...
(Yay tickets!)
(selfie w/ backpack)
(flying into MIA)
Corey! You were such a peasant today!!! :D
ReplyDeleteCongrats on getting your big mistake out of the way early on!!! From my experience, it's best to get all blunders and bad karma out of the way at the very start of the trip. This sort of thing can't happen twice (right?!? that'd be impressive!) so I imagine you'll have smooth sailing (flying?) the rest of the trip!
My recent travel blunders: The day before my flight to S. Africa I realized I didn't actually buy a plane ticket...like at all (opps!). The rest of the trip-- no flight problems. On Matt's way over to S. Africa a few months later, he lost his entire wallet in JFK airport. The rest of the trip--no pickpocketing (being one wallet down did help though).
GL and safe travels! Can't wait to read more!
I love this story. And I see that I have somehow fixed my browser and am now able to comment. Yay! Miss you!
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