One does not undertake holiday air travel without accepting the possibility of winter weather interruptions causing flight delays, and thus crowds of families and weary travelers piling up at airports. (Heaven knows we have had our fair share of not-so-favorable travel karma in our years of flying home for Christmas or Thanksgiving!) So as Sam and I prepared for our departure to Paris to meet up with Hamp and our dear friends, we steeled ourselves to the fact that things may not go smoothly.
I preface this whole story with one statement: we made it to Paris and got to see our family and friends! That being said...
things did not go smoothly.
Day 1 of departure: Denver
Our original flight on IcelandAir gets cancelled all together due to a severe winter storm in Reykjavik that stranded hundreds of travelers... we are rebooked for the next day on a Delta flight. Fine. Sam enjoys some ice skating at the Denver airport while I rearrange travel plans. We spend an afternoon watching planes fly in/out of Denver and get dinner - try again tomorrow!
Day 2 of departure: still Denver
Bags are checked and we are at the gate... waiting. It is becoming clear that weather is starting to affect departures and our domestic flight keeps getting delayed. In fear of missing our connection to Paris, we find a Delta agent who graciously moves us to a different flight out on United later that evening. Fine. As long as we can get out we will make it! Meanwhile, Hamp has arrived in Paris and is happily hanging out with John-Jefferson and his family! Thank goodness...
Day 3 of departure: Munich, Germany
In the nick of time, we fly to Europe. This flight, too is delayed but at least we will miss our connection in Munich with a better chance of catching the next flight to Paris as opposed to being stuck in Detroit! Jet-lagged, we wander the Munich airport for what feels like hours looking for a baggage service person (spoiler alert: our baggage doesn't make it to Europe!) but give up in order to book an airport hotel room and enjoy a German beer and Chimney Cake at the pop-up winter market in the airport atrium!
Day 4 of departure: Paris!!!
Finally, we await the first flight out to Paris the next morning. At this point Sam and I are super exhausted, frustrated at the mixed messages regarding our baggage (are they there? will they make it? do we just keep going in hopes that we'll be reunited?!) and just ready to be at our destination.
Despite all of these adventures, I was most grateful that my dear friend Peggy and her family took Hamp in for a few days while Sam & I struggled to get there! I was also grateful that we actually made it to our destination... considering that mere hours after we finally took off, the weather in the US started to take its toll on air travel across the country. Lastly, I am incredibly grateful for Sam - what an amazing and patient traveler! We had a great time together laughing about our travel troubles and he focused on being able to go ice-skating, see a German winter market, and watch the planes rather than pout about being stuck in airports for 4 days!
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