And the madness never stops...

So this has definitely been one eventful flight experience that I ever had to experience. UGH! So here we go. I will wrap up this negative madness in a nutshell since I don't need to dwell on it but focus on the postive. So I got a delta buddy pass to help save money on the cost of airfare since this year it stayed at $1500 plus. Buddy pass is basically a stand by ticket. Well I was already really stressed about packing because I never had to pack for such a long trip before. Every trip I always overpack but its just because I don't wanna forget anything. so I had 4 chances to make it to atlanta from dallas on standby and there was only one flight out of atlanta to rome. Well I couldnt make the first flight to atlanta which departed at 5:40am and went to the airport to make the next one. I didnt get on any of the atlanta flights and they even tried to get on the flight to jfk then to rome and all flights were full and there were so many people on standby by the time it got to my name all the seats were given to the standby passengers with senority. Plus my bags already went on the plane and Delta confirmed later on that the bags are on the way to Rome.

So what does that mean? I either had to cancel this entire trip or cough up at $2598 last minute ticket to Rome. Well I did exactly that was NOT happy about it. But at least I knew I secured a seat. So go on the plane to JFK the next morning just fine. So we are now landing in new york and so excited. Because I love ny and seeing the buildings were great from the sky and I'm just a flight away from arriving in italy. When we landed there was something about the area in which we landed and this airport that seemed all too familiar but I couldnt put my finger on it....hmmmm. Then I heard another passenger say..."OMG we landed at the wrong airport Laguardia instead of JFK!" WHAT! I couldn't believe it because my flight to rome will depart from JFK in less than an hour. Evidently its was due to the captain circling the airport waiting for permission to land that the plane loss fuel. Thankfully flight was delayed.

So we arrived and I'm going to my gate and looked at the tv monitor for my flight and its says" Final boarding to Rome"...15min from take of.f I'm at Gate 40 something and need to get to gate 8. So Im running with two heavy bags on me to my gate and they I hear my name on the PA "Final call for passenger Cindy N'Kele to Rome". CRAP! Still running and they call my name 2 more times and I'm there waving my boarding pass in my hand sweating and out of breath but I made it. It was nice to hear the italian language on the plane and hear flight instructions in italian which I was ableto understand completely compared to last year at the international.

So I arrived in Italy! Nice and sunny...loving the language and the beautiful and so all that is left is to pick up my luggage right? WRONG! When I went to go pickup my luggage that made it to rome before i did, the lady said that they didn't arrive to rome and they didn't know where they were. These two bags had the majority of meeting clothes, field service material, lotions, swimsuit, electricity converter and adapter..everything! So I had to file a claim and thankfully my friend in Rome Paola works for an Italian airline and was there to help me through this process.

To make a long story short, I just picked my bags today 4 days (july 1) later and it took a bus, metro and train just to get to the airport to pick up my bags. they could have delivered it but I have an italian assembly tomorrow and i couldn't risk not having my bags arrive on time. But I will be sending a lengthy letter and will get travel expenses reimbursed and a free flight after im done!

written by

ItalianaCinzia on June 30, 2010 from Rome, Italy

from the travel blog: Serving in Italy 2010

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Whoa... I love it! Like a novel entrance, woo free flight btw!!!

written by Quilin Ogundipe on July 1, 2010

That surely was an eventful weekend trying to get you on that plane to Italy!!!! :-) I'm still exhausted because of it!!! LOL Despite everything that happen, you made it and living your dream of serving Jehovah in Italy! Remember blessed not stressed!:-) Enjoy your time there! Take lots of pics and post them! Talk to again soon!

Magali :-)

written by Magali N'kele on July 2, 2010

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