So I’m home now from my life changing vacation of working in galleries and my New York extravaganza, art-worldly living for 5 weeks. And what have I learnt?
I can tell you that I’m upset. It’s now lonely at night, since I don't have to share my existence. By sharing an existence I mean by sleeping all in the same room and share the common-area, even plan around what each of us would like to do in the Evening. Sharing the experience of poor Brooklyn living, but we all love it because it makes us think that we are all being Post-Modern Bohemian with our IKEA bedding and coffee cups.
And im tired but can't sleep till at least 4 am because of the time-zone change, and I have to get up before 11am (like for work or meeting/catching up with people). [and lets face it, there is definately going2 be some back log posts about nyc.]
I've had this unbelievable amount of good luck for 5 weeks straight- that is pretty unusual for me!! I am one of those people who consistantly have a hand of bad-luck cards.
So it comes as no suprise to me when I’m on my way to the airport in a private taxi car, and i lesuirely look down at my itinery - and it says my flight is on Thursday 10th, and it’s now Friday the 11th. Whoops. I re-read it and think f*ck. But, I’m not suprised by this because at all since it is ‘just my luck’.
However the thing that IS suprising is the fact that I’ve had the 11th for my flight in my head all month + long. I had my apartment 2 this date, I told Magda I was leaving on this date - I had even told my mom at the airport before I left, by email and on the phone - so on several occasions. There was not even one moment of doubt at any point. I suppose this is what you risk when you book a flight like 3months before you depart and have a 5 week gap to look at your itinery. The funny thing is, why didn’t I even check, just check?!
So no stranger to f*cking up, and well lets face it - even if I was f*cked I know so many people in NYC now it means I wouldn’t realllllly be left stranded, I didn’t panic. My heart beat rose significantly and i made sure I looked like my 12 year old self (opposed to 20), because who can't resist helping kids travelling on their own out? So I go to the Delta check-in desk and I say,
“Hey I was wondering if you can help me? I missed my flight and I was wondering if you could book me on the next avilable one…”
D. Guy: ” What time was your flight at? and where to?”
Me, and I feel absoluely stupid as I hear the words come out of my mouth, ” Yesterday, and to Manchester UK.”
D.Guy, ” Yesterday?!”
I make some excuse, ” yeah because I land on the 11th I got the 11th in my head”
D.Guy, ” there’s room on the next flight but you're probably going to get charged a fine and you need to do it over at ticketing which is across the road”
So I run over the Delta Ticketing where this guy tells me I’ve bought a cheap plane ticket. I knew this already, and as a result I have paid Air France the cash, but I’m flying with them (Delta) so therefore I need 2 sort it out with Air France. I need to call them. So I call them and they put me on hold for 20 minutes.
In this 20 minutes the guy helping me finishes his shift and 7 groups of people have all rebooked their flights (mostly to Atlanta).
When I do get some assistance they tell me that I need to run to Terminal 1, pay my fine there at the Air France ticketing desk and get my tickets - BUT I gotta be quick, it’s going to close in 15 minutes. At this point I am like f*ck…. I’m in Terminal 4. And JFK is no Manchester Airport. So I have to run with 2 huge heavy bags on a trolley thing across terminal, up and down lifts and up and down along side roads. I can imagine that is one of the most funny things to see.
So I get there 2 the Air France ticketing desk in Terminal 1. I'm not sure whether it didn't take me 15 minutes but they were still open. When I approach the desk, I have to explain myself for the 3rd time. By this time I only have 50 minutes to get the tickets and run back to Terminal 4 and checkin and get through security.
The employees were in discussion with each other about who is better trained, they leasuirely print my ticket. Of course I am in no position,nor am I the type of person, to just yell out, " clearily you're all abit shitly trained because this isn't good customer service!! So can you hurry up?"
Oh yes. It was a fun night. The best part of it though was I got 3 seats to myself at the back of plane, regardless of them always making out it was an issue of getting a seat.
When I arrived back in the UK, I froze my ass off. It's no humid place the UK.
And I started my new job in a bookies / book-keeper / betting shop (whatever you call them) the next day. I’m sure you will hear more about that as it progresses.
MORAL OF THE STORY IS: YOU CAN ALWAYS BE 100% CERTAIN BUT NOTHING IS EVER CERTAIN.
ALWAYS DOUBLE CHECK YOUR ITINERY, and try and not get cheap tickets that are booked with 2 airlines just incase of things like this happening.