Slumber Party in Denver

I’m back from Boston and can’t wait to tell you all about it, but I just had to share with you about my adventure in Denver!

I left my hotel at 10:50 am EST and Kevin walked me to my bus stop. I took the bus to the Subway station and the picked up another bus that took me to Logan Airport. I left Boston at 2:45 pm EST time headed to Denver for my connection flight. On our descent to Denver, the pilot informed us that there were severe thunder and lightning storms over the airport and we would be circling while they blew over. After 40 minutes of circling the pilot again came over the speaker to let us know we were being rerouted to Colorado Springs to refuel and wait. We, and the 25 other planes in front of us, spent two hours on the runway in Colorado Springs. By the time I got off the flight in Denver, they were announcing the last call to Ontario, CA.

I waited in line for two hours to try to get a flight home (and there was probably a two hour wait for rest of the line behind me). As the list of outgoing flights on the television monitors got shorter and shorter, I knew I wasn’t going to be leaving that night. When I got to the counter the only spot they had to Ontario would get me in at 11:00 pm on Wednesday night. They offered me a flight to LAX landing at 10:15 and I took it. Unfortunately this means I no longer had a ride home. It was 11:00pm on Tuesday night and I didn’t really know who to call. As I pulled on socks and another long sleeve t-shirt (now totaling three shirts) to keep warm as I slept on the ground, I remembered Brian and Brandon were off for the summer. So Wednesday morning at 4:00 am PST, I sent out a text looking for a ride in from LAX. God bless those boys (and their wives) for checking their phones that early. Brandon even called back that early. Brian said he could do it and will that last juice of my cell phone battery I sent a text with the time, flight number, and terminal.

Then my phone shut off.

I had not told my husband, sister, or mother how I was getting home; all three who knew I was spending the night in the airport. I had sent a mass text about a pick-up and was not able to tell any of them I found a ride. What on earth did we do before cell phones? After searching for a charging station like they have in Ontario, and finding out that the electronics store didn’t open until 9:00, I headed to the payphone. I dialed the number, entered my credit card, and couldn’t get the phone to work. I just needed to leave a message for Kevin but had no idea what to do.

I began to cry. I was almost hysterical but couldn’t stop. The stress mixed with the lack of sleep had taken its toll and I didn’t know what to do. I am 27 years old and I feel like a child that can’t find her mother. I just sat in the payphone booth and cried. I must have been louder than I thought because a very nice woman (Kelly) and her son on their way to Hawaii came around the corner to ask if I was okay. While trying to suck in air, I explained the story. She let me use her cell phone and I left a message for Kevin telling him to call Brandon, Brian, and Rachel. I assumed Rachel would let me mother know or my mother would end up calling Kevin; I think both happened. I left the pay phone number for Kevin, but when he called back all I heard was a hello before they cut us off. So much for working the system.

I headed over to my gate to sit and wait, still crying occasionally. I was so upset I could have sworn I heard them page me over the intercom. It wasn’t until they said my name again that I realized the airport really was paging me. When I called from the “courtesy phone” I identified myself and she asked if I was Kevin’s wife. I said yes and I think I started crying again because she said she was going to patch me through to him. After talking to Kevin later, that isn’t something they normally do. Kevin let me know he had talked to everyone and everything was fine. And that was all I needed. I cried a little more on the phone with him, but I was fine after that. Kevin is my support and mind of reason. He had taken care of everything and I was heading home.

Brian was there when I walked out and I have never been so happy to see a face I recognized.

Lesson learned: Always carry your phone charger when traveling.