I made it to my flight………..it was beyond stressful. More stressful than usual missed connections because I wasn’t able to book the flight from MN all the way to Reykjavik, Iceland with one airline. So the flight was booked from MN to Boston on Delta airlines and then the flight from Boston to Reykjavik was a completely separate booking……….therefore if the first one is delayed and I missed the connection it wasn’t Iceland Airs problem to get me there, and I wasn’t guarenteed I’d get to Iceland without a new flight been booked. SO………..that’s what resulted in me been way freaked out in this instance…………I’ve missed many, many connections before however this was different. And due to the flight time-table to Iceland I wouldn’t get there until Saturday morning, therefore missing out on an entire day in Iceland and an entire night getting to know my teammates.
So once I got to the Boston airport, I swear we parked in Timbuktwo and had to drive all the way back to the gate and good old Murphy………well Murphy is an asshole…….we were at gate A18 and I had to get back to A1 to baggage claim, wait for my bags, then run a mile to Terminal E, again Murphy SOB!! Land in Terminal A depart from Terminal E. Got my bags and after being told my sticks wouldn’t be at the oversize baggage claim, I got my sticks from the oversize baggage claim ( one of the Delta employees I referred to earlier that don’t actually work told me they wouldn’t come there, oh well!)
After which I took off running, turned a corner and my bag goes flying off the cart, battled my ass off to get it back on, then again I continued my mile run. I am pretty sure, as sad as this is, this very well might have been my fasted mile ever, well at least the fastest wearing jeans (which were falling off I might add), a hoodie and pushing a cart with a completely full hockey bag, stick bag as well as a 29 inch long bag that weighed almost 50 pounds….. I get to Terminal E, turn the corner and instead of the shining light I was hoping to see I see a whole lot of check in/ticketing counters that are all closed and there are NO lights shining, none at all………ahhhhh I think, and again take off running!! What’s that I see??? A sign: Iceland Air counters 60-75, again I run……….and there is ONE lady standing at counter #75. I get there, she says; “Iceland Air??” I say; “Yes, can I PLEASE still fly tonight!!!???” She asks “Last name? And are you checked in already?” “Yes” I say, “YES!” and “Last name Mc Loughlin” as I stand there……..it’s 8:50pm we’re supposed to have bags checked in by 8:30pm………I must have been a sight for sore eyes…….sweating……panting…..about ready to cry from stress. I think she let me check my bags based solely on the fact that I was a sorry sight and she’d deal with a crying, sobbing, emotional wreck otherwise. So I check bags, she finds my visa, confirms I’m “allowed” to fly to Iceland and tried to tell me I had an extra bag, I said no my sticks and bag count as one item, she said OK. I smiled!! Bags went through she told me to drop the sticks at gate 96, again I RUN……….drop them off, turn around and….run…. back past the check in lady, I yell “THANK YOU!” she says “You’re welcome!” I continue my crazy night of running………
Security, the man ahead of me, the only man going thru security is wearing a skirt……not a weird kinda skirt, a religious kinda skirt….it made me giggle. Get thru security, I run…………arrive at the gate, they’re still boarding people………ahhhhhhhhh I exclaim. Still sweating, panting and looking pathetic! My shirt is soaked, I run again………down to the airport store that sells t shirts…….find some on sale for $4.99 DEAL!!!!!! Buy it….again I run……no one’s at the gate……….ahhhhhhhhhhhh I think, get there go thru and wait in the boarding area to get onto the plane. BUT I’m on the plane, that’s all that matters!!!
On the plane, sitting next to a friendly man, we spoke about my cross country run and why I was going to Iceland. After take off I go to the bathroom, have a “porro” shower and change shirts……..it feels wonderful!!!!!
Now I’m hungry! They have sandwiches on the flight, they’re expensive, shocker, but I must eat. They come round I ask for the 720 Krona sandwich, equivalent of 5 euro’s. She says its chicken bonus I think, I eat chicken! Well once I get the sandwich it says chicken and cottage cheese…….now I’m thinking YUK, but what can I do, I am hungry! I read the ingredients closer red peppers, cottage cheese, chicken, funny spices and pickles……..oh well, I’m going to a new country I must try new things, I open up the sandwich, bread like I’ve never seen before, seeds in it, lots of seeds and a different kinda brown color……….I eat (after removing the pickles, even I have my limits), its pretty good. Opened my horizons on trying something new (Jeanna are you proud of me?) and it was a success, a very nummy sandwich!!!!!!
This flight is only 4 hours and 40 minutes long. I am watching the movie Wall street, so far its crazy good. I hope to try ‘nap’ for a bit after that. I am going to be WIPED out tomorrow…..’Friday’ per Iceland time. I don’t know that I’ll be doing much sightseeing as I wait for the team to arrive, I am hoping I get a bed to be able to sleep on, as getting over jet lag is way more important, considering the reason I am in Iceland.
The movie is about to end so I shall sign off for now, until later (when I can upload this LOL!) OVER AND OUT!!!
Now I’m in Iceland, at the office of the Iceland hockey federation as I can’t get to hotel until 2pm………..I am borrowing wi-fi so I can’t stay on for long. Much more to follow!
