Getting Home For Christmas 2010 in the European Snow Crisis

Getting home for Christmas this year was an event all in itself. And not a good event, at that.

The girls were leaving on Saturday the 18th. My flight was Sunday the 19th. Due to the unbelievable amount of snow in Europe, almost every airport in Europe was closed for days. It was a huge mess. All the returning students were stranded, stuck and frustrated. The girls got stuck in Chicago for 2 days. I called on Saturday night TWICE, to try and get routed to Saudi any way BUT through Europe. They kept telling me that my flight was not going to be canceled (despite the ever-falling snow and hundreds of canceled flights). I was so frustrated, but nothing I could do.

I woke up early on Sunday morning to get to the airport more than 2 hours early. As I emerged from The Cave (where I get no reception) I have a voice mail informing me my flight from Chicago to London had been canceled. I rushed to the airport, and got in line for my SLC to Chicago flight to figure out what to do.

They advised me not to travel to Chicago, saying I'd just get stuck there. After being in the airport for 4 hours, they finally found a flight from SLC to Dallas, Dallas to Dulles, Dulles to Kuwait, Kuwait to Bahrain. Avoiding Europe all together.  But the flight didnt' leave until Wednesday the 22nd. So I would barely make it in time for Christmas (I got in the night before Christmas Eve) and I wouldn't get to spend those 2 days with Samar. But, it was a flight home that wouldn't' get canceled. I'd rather get stranded in SLC and be able to go to work, than get stranded in Chicago by myself.

I called Daren to pick me up (Daren, being the gem that he is, drove down to spend the weekend with me before I flew out and take me to the airport. With all the canceled flight drama, it ended up being such a good thing he was here) and we headed straight to the gym. I was so frustrated and angry and needed to run all my emotions out.

Mom had been on hold with AA since I first told her my flight was canceled, at 5 in the morning. She was still on hold when I left the airport around 9. Dad called me while I was at the gym, around 10 when they had finally gotten through. The person he talked to looked up my newly booked flight ( that took 5 hours to find and book. I was partially booked on so many flights that would suddenly become available and then disappear) and said that it was done illegally. The last flight, to Bahrain, was not on an AA flight. And it is against their rules or whatever to book anyone on a non AA flight. So she was going to cancel my booking. Apparently, Mom had to beg and plead and cry to get the mean lady to not cancel my flight.

On the 21st, the dat before my new flight, it snowed and snowed and snowed. Which I love. But which also leads to delayed and canceled flights, which I do not love. I was afraid my SLC to Dallas flight would get delayed or canceled, and I would not make it home. Luckily, that did not happen.

All my flights went according to plan, and I made it home without incident.

All the returning students came in late, like me. We all took... unique routes to get home.

My favorite? Chicago to NY. NY to Hong Kong. Hong Kong to Singapore. Singapore to Dubai. Dubai to Bahrain.

Ah, the joys of international travel.