The jump from the MidWest to Pa and the kindness of strangers

I think that today was one of the craziest travel days that I have had... in my entire life, including getting lost in France and missing our train there.

Total Flights: 3- Joplin, MO to Kansas City (MCI) to Chicago O'Hare (ORD) to Allentown Bethlehem Easton airport (ABE). Literally across the country, a hop, skip and a jump.
Total baggage fees: $0- I was too late to get charged... story to follow
Time zones: Central now back to Eastern : ) yay

Today I left Pitt State in Kansas, it was really sad to say goodbye to the chapter and pack up all of my things. I was told that it only took about a half hour to get from the chapter house to the Joplin airport... that turned out to be a huge lie today. The chapter member came to pick me up and everything was going okay, until I realized that it was 1:30pm and I should be at the airport and we are not even near it. So I really start freaking out when it is 1:45pm and we are stuck behind some really slow people going 55 mph in a 65. So we get to the airport at 2pm and my flight is supposed to take off at 2:15!!! argh!

So, I run inside to the counter to check in and there is no one there, not anyone standing in line... and no one behind the counter. Great, not a good sign, I am way late, by like an hour. So I find a bell on the counter and start ringing it. I tell the woman who magically appears that I am VERY late to check in the my flight that is leaving in 15 mins. She begins to hand write me a boarding pass and a tag for my bag. She tells me that she cant charge me the $15 fee to check one bag because it is too late. Omg she is an angel. So, she somehow convinces security to re-open (yes ther was only one security line, and a small enough airport that it closes between flights) for me to go through. She tells me that at Kansas City I will need to leave security and have my boarding pass printed at the ticket counter and then re-enter security.

So, I have about 30 min at Kansas City to magically make that happen... and I almost missed my flight. I dash out of the first plane, which by the way I was on with only 2 other passengers, and run inside to leave the secured area. I go to one of the check in machines to check in, use my confirmation number, thank God I had written that on a post it and had it in my briefcase. But, alas.... the computer is telling me that it is "too late" to check into my flight and will not print my boarding pass. So I wait in line just to tell someone, I've checked in I just need my boarding pass. It is now 3:15, my flight is boarding at 3:16 and I still have to go through security.... ah!

Someone wonderful prints out my pass. I jump into a security line. One of the Security guys is walking by and sees the flight number on my boarding pass and takes me out of the line to jump past like 25 people. He also jumped me ahead in the line to screen your stuff and made sure that I had bins and everything. As I am putting my laptop back into my briefcase they are calling my name... I AM THAT GIRL... I AM HOLDING UP THE ENTIRE PLANE!! I rush, so much so that I almost forgot to grab my carry on rolling suitcase (my life would be a huge disaster without that since ALL of my work things are in that). They call my name a second time as I start running to my gate, and as I am shouting excuse me to the millions of people that need to be in my direct path to gate 10. As I get to my gate there are 4 men in suits just waiting to take my seat. As I give my boarding pass she tells me that I will need to reprint a boarding pass in Chicago... really?! But she says I can print it at the gate, so no triple security. As I am running down the hallway to the plane, I see someone in a neon vest, who takes my bag from me, calls me sweetheart, and tells me to calm down and that the door to the plane has not closed yet. So, I walked on the plane, the very last girl... I was totally that annoying person who delayed everyone.

So I got to Chicago okay, had enough time there and no need for triple security that I could grab some dinner and chill at my gate. I think at 5:30 was the first time I had breathed since 1:45. I made that flight to Allentown and met with the chapter members from East Stroudsburg.

I have a sweet room this week, to myself, with a double bed! I cant remember the last time I slept in a bed bigger than a twin. The chapter definitely made the room homey and gave me snacks and extra toiletries, so sweet.