A Christmas Miracle

Everyone knows that traveling during the holidays is beyond a nightmare. I, like most people in Manhattan, was feeling really stressed about it. Getting in and out of the city on a normal day is a pain, without the loads of holiday traffic, extra people, and delayed airplanes. This morning I woke up, lugged my gianormous 62 lbs suitcase down the four flights of stairs and stood on the curb in the frigid 17 degrees to hail a cab. Then I got to work and debated how I was getting to the airport. After the two times, of getting my suitcase in and out of the cab, I decided the train was not an option. Then I thought about a cab but then realized it could be nearly impossible to catch one. So I called car and hoped traffic would be ok.

5:00p,m. I walk out of my building (my flight takes off at 7:30, so an hour and half to get there and an hour for check in, security, etc). I’m doing good..

5:10pm I get a call from the car service and they were delayed 20 min. I stood there a little stressed and then miraculously saw someone getting out of a cab. NEVER happens at 5pm in Times Square, even fought off a few other Conde girls for it.

5:40pm Out of the Queens tunnel and we hit a dead stop. Traffic was backed up as far as I could see. I sat impatiently while my cabdriver complained about taking me and telling me how much money he could be making if he would have stayed in the city.

6:20pm still sitting in traffic, now really getting stressed!

6:50pm pull up at the Delta terminal; I throw my money at the driver and run in to the terminal, which is a crazy place!

6:55pm throw my suitcase on the scale to check it and the lady slowly says, “oh your flight leaves in 30 min, go down to the last person in line and they will check your bag”

7:00pm I run down to the other ticket person and there is a really long line. One of the counter people yells “anyone for Salt Lake City?” I raise my hand and yell “ME!” so loud and aggressive I totally freaked myself out. I ran up, butting in front of the cute family of 5 and the asian guy who didn’t speak a lick of English. I throw my suitcase up on the scale again and she says “oh sorry, too late, we can’t check this bag anymore” I start panicking, and then I start crying and yelling at the same time “you just said ‘anyone for Salt Lake’ it is only 7pm…I still have 30 min!!” ticket lady says “the computer won’t let me” My voice got a little shakier but more aggressive “this is a joke, I was here 10 minutes ago trying to check it, you have to check this bag!!” ticket lady says “I can’t and you have to stop yelling at me, I am just an employee, paid by the hour, I don’t own the company” (I wish the Delta president could of heard that line..). She then says “we can get you on standby for tomorrow and Wednesday but no available seats,” I am really upset at this point, thinking about all my options: is there a way to ship my bag and hop on the plane? Other airlines? LaGuardia? Newark? Of course with everything I said she nodded her head and said “nope.”

7:15pm Now I am waiting by her desk while she assists the person I butt in front of. I call my mom, crying and upset, she tries to go thru all the options with me and I act like the ticket counter lady saying there are no options except standby. Then my mom says “just go to the gate” I say that won’t work and hang up the phone. Then I thought well I might as well just try to shove my huge suitcase thru that security belt.

7:20pm run to the front of security, they look at my ticket, let me butt in line, and start helping me throw all my crap onto the belt, even my 62 lbs huge suitcase. Didn’t use any of those little plastic bins, didn’t take my computer out of the bag, threw my shoes in last minute and everything came out successfully on the other end! Security guy looks at me with a grin “they aren’t going to let you on the plane with that bag” I just smiled and shrugged.

7:25pm sprinting to my gate...JFK is not small.

7:28pm arrive at the gate and the nice ladies at the counter say “you have 4 minutes” I say “THANK YOU” they say “did you pay for your bag?” “ya but I gave my receipt to the guy at the front counter…its fine I’ll pay again (pulling out all my credit cards and tossing them to her)..I just want to get on the plane.” She says “its fine, just run” I get to the door, nice guy takes my bag, and hands it down to the bag loader uppers. I skip onto the plane as the pilot smiles “welcome” and closes the door behind me. It felt like such a movie scene, I felt like everyone on the plane should have clapped for me. But they didn’t.

7:32pm I sit down in my seat start putting my stuff under the seat in front of me and I feel like I am missing something. I realize it’s my tote bag with my computer in it! I start panicking again. I call the stewardess with the little button above me. No one comes. I start pushing it frantically. Between the late arrival and crazy flight attendant calling people were starting to stare.

7:35pm Flight attendant walks up, I say “I think I left my computer bag at the gate!” she says very calmly “I’ll call them” I watch her calling them, she continues to smile at me the whole time but can obviously see me freaking out on the inside. Everything is on my computer, the last 5 years of my life. Pictures, projects, music, journal. I would die if I lost it. She slowly walks to the front of the plane and out of sight. I am still dealing with the adrenaline and stress of getting on the plane and now I am freaking out about my computer…my life…being gone!!

7:38pm I can see the flight attendant walking towards me but can’t see anything in her hand…she gets closer and says with a lucky look on her face “they brought it down and put it through the pilots window”

I have never been so relieved in my life!!!! I call this night a Christmas Miracle!!!! So I made my flight and I made it with ALL of my luggage! Here are a few things I learned:

1. Never listen to anyone at the Delta Ticket Counter
2. Trust my mom
3. Delta people at the gate and on the plane are the nicest people in the world
4. STOP leaving things places!!!!! Remember this post??? You would have thought I learned my lesson!

Happy Christmas and happy travels!!