First seven hours: Trapped in the Charlotte.

Here I am! Starting my six-month-long adventure in Costa Rica, traveling with only one familiar face, Edvaard, my three-eyed sock puppet pal.


My adventure started yesterday, January 10th, two days after my 21st birthday. Sitting at the O´hare airport at 6am I felt FEARLESS- ready to take on ANYTHING the universe threw at me... I suppose I didn´t actually think the universe would throw any curveballs!

But it did. I almost could not leave the country.

I rushed from my first flight from Chicago to Charlotte to my connecting flight to San Jose- about a ten minute hustle. I got in line for check-in behind literally 50 people. When I got up to the line the flight attendant asked me if I had a return ticket. When I replied, no, he replied that I would not be able to leave the country. I told him I would buy a ticket and they pulled me out of line and escorted me to the service desk.

Thinking a return flight would be near equivalent to my current flight ($150), I was prepared to pay for it. I had $500 in my account- it would not be a problem.

¨Flight from San Jose to Chicago- $540.70,¨said the US Airways Highway Robber.

::Commence sobbing::

The flight is almost done boarding. How can I be expected to pay that much for a stupid ticket??? How am I going to get money and make the flight? I don´t even have my cell phone!

¨What about any other tickets back to the U.S.? Maybe one back to Charlotte? How much would that cost??¨I pleaded.

¨$725,¨said the US Airways Highway Robber plainly.

::Commence crying and hyperventilating:: (I am such a baby! But I couldnt help it!)

¨Where is the nearest payphone?¨ I dashed to the payphone, digging in my purse for spare change. I put my last four quarters in the machine to call my dad. (This isn´t the first time I have called him bawling, asking him to fix all my problems!) He told me to just pay it and he gave me his credit card number. (Sorry Dad! I promise I will set you up in the NICEST nursing home someday!)

I get back to the counter and the man told me that I can´t pay with a credit card number. I need the credit card... I just can´t hold back the crying. I just stood at his counter as pathetic as could be, bawling. The plane has already boarded every passenger but me, and he is going to make my life more difficult.

He bent the rules for me. And one of the flight attendants came to escort me to the plane, walky-talky-ing the baggage handlers to put my luggage back on the plane.

Got to the plane and my sorry-ass red-faced self was greeted by a planeful of seething stares, for I was the sole person to hold up the flight.

But I made it.

First 7 hours of my adventure-
Losses: Nalgene bottle, $540, fearlessness, some dignity
Gains: Knowledge for the future, perspective on how freakin lucky I am to be taking this adventure, hatred for US Airways

Good thing Edvaard was there for me after that whole ordeal.

And thank you so much, Dad!!!