Delays Better Not Become the Norm for My Big Trips!

*Editor's note: Of course I am already several days behind . . . but that was predicted. I feel like tomorrow could have some catch-up time built into it. Enjoy!

Today is the day I leave for New Zealand! I was more or less packed today; just had to take care of a couple small items like drop off the pup at my parents, dishes, trash, etc. Nothing crazy, so it was a pretty leisurely day. I made sure that everything was set to do these updates via my blog instead of through emails like I did when I went to Europe in 2008.

In doing so, I realized I was a bit behind on updating my latest blog project. Earlier this year I decided that I would hike to the top of the tallest peak in each of the named mountain ranges in Arizona and document those experiences on my blog . . . but there was only one post from that project. I’m pretty sure I wrote another one but never posted it because it would require downloading photos from my phone and picking out which ones to post along with the experience. I clearly didn’t feel that I had the time for that task. I also feel like I have done two or three peaks that I have yet to write up as well.

It was around that time that work and HOBY came together to form this perfect storm of chaos in my life that had me going all over the place and staying everywhere except my own bed.

But that was not the only thing that hindered my progress with that project. It was right around that time that I met a girl; a beautiful woman, inside and out, that totally shook my world. Every time I saw her only made me want to spend that much more time with her. I wanted to spend the very little spare time that work and HOBY afforded me in those 3 months with her . . . and that’s what I did.

I reckon that project will have to wait a bit more now that I am using this space and my time to experience and document New Zealand . . . But I will get to it!

Our flight to New Zealand didn’t leave out of LAX until 11:49pm so my flight from Tucson to LA didn’t leave until 6pm, giving me a very easy-going beginning to my day. My girlfriend came over to take me to the airport a little bit early to surprise me with a stack of sealed cards – one for each day I would be gone – to be opened consecutively and only on the appropriate date; straight out of Elizabethtown or P.S. I love You, but without the sad dying stuff.

Have I mentioned how amazing and thoughtful she is?!

Now with slight reluctance, it was time to go to the airport. In the middle of the drive there, I get an update through Google that my flight has been delayed a half an hour. No big deal . . . still within the 3-hour time period they recommended to check into my international flight . . .

I get to the airport and go through the security check – No line! Not one. Single. Person. I love the Tucson Airport! The security guard that checks IDs looks seriously bored, as he exclaims, ‘Hey look, no line, you’re in luck!’ We exchange a few pleasantries as he checks my ticket and I agree how nice it is not to have to wait in line.

As I started to walk away from him, toward the metal detector, he called back to me asking if I had heard anything about the bombing in NYC. To be completely honest, I had been a bit distracted. I was aware that something may have happened because of a couple vague facebook posts from my friends, but I hadn’t paid attention enough to notice more than that. I said I hadn’t and continued walking away.

Poor guy. That really isn’t the best place to be if you are looking for people to stop for small chat.

Security was a breeze though and I got to my gate without a problem to find out that my flight had been delayed another 40 minutes (1 hour and 20 minutes total). Great! Now I am under the 3-hour recommendation. Now that the NYC bombing has been implanted in my head I do a quick Google search, hoping that it was not so severe that it was the culprit behind my delayed flight. But it turned out it wasn’t, LA just had to many planes flying around it, like King Kong, waiting to land and they wouldn’t let anyone else take off until they had smashed . . . er, I mean let enough of those planes land.

It is a lot more fun to think of this at LAX though.

The announcer said there was a chance we could leave earlier but, lo, that was not the case. Tyler did not seem to be concerned though, so I did my best not to be either. But it was hard not to think about how our Europe trip got delayed a day because of delays in our earlier flights that made us miss our international flight. So I ordered a Gin and Tonic with a drink ticket Tyler had gotten to me to try not to think about it – The attendant totally didn’t take the ticket . . . perhaps my luck is changing?!

That ended up being the case! There were no more delays, my checked bag ended up being the 5^th one off the carousel, I found the international portion of the airport and checked back in for my flight in under an hour, and our gate was the first one past security!

Thanks Southwest for the free Gin and Tonic – totally turned everything around!

We ended up getting there 20 minutes before they were scheduled to start boarding so we found the currency exchange to get some New Zealand dollars.

Yayyyy! I have money!

And before we knew it we were on board, in the air and on our way. After a quality airline meal, we were ready to snuggle in for a quality night sleep on a plane . . . one step closer to Auckland!