La Vida Loca (Part 1)

Well, I’ve learned some important lessons already on my journey across the world: never get too attached to your plans and always keep patience close at hand. My Saturday started at 6:30 AM with the news that my connecting flight to Chicago was cancelled.  Not delayed.  Not rescheduled.  Just plain cancelled.  A plan that I had made for 3 months appeared to be slipping through my fingers in what I considered to be the worst-case-scenario.  The airline attendant seemed to take years to find a new route for me, but eventually it all worked out.  I was re-routed through Dallas with a 4-hour layover and a later arrival to Alicante, but this is a small price to pay in my travel desperation. 

So now, here I am, sitting in the Dallas airport and writing part of this blog entry.  An adventure is what I wanted, and it’s definitely what I have received.  I barely had a chance to bid farewell to my family before I ran towards security.  I also didn’t get a chance to eat anything.  After rushing onto a 7:45 AM flight (which was booked at 7 AM for me), I got a chance to gather myself on the plane.  Luckily, I’ve always been known for my knack at striking up airplane friendships, so of course, I made a wonderful friend who helped me cram my backpack into the crowded overhead bin.  I was so thankful for this MBA-pursuing Indian man who had enough strength and kindness to violently shove my overstuffed luggage into place.  I didn’t even catch his name, but that’s part of the beauty of airplane friendships: a supportive yet fleeting connection between social creatures that requires absolutely no follow-up. 

I was also strangely comforted by the in-flight movie A Dolpin’s Tale (punny, right?).  Anyway, this movie, although a little bit cheesy, was absolutely charming to me, and it’s actually based on a true story.  It allowed me to forget about my hunger since no snacks were offered, not even for sale, so I just sipped my water and stared at the screen.  This made the flight go by quickly, and before I knew it, I arrived at the Dallas airport.  It’s a beautiful day, but the only downside is that I can’t find free WiFi here.  What have I been doing during these 4 hours?  Eating. Chatting. Preparing for the next leg of my journey.  It’s finally starting to sink in that I’ll be on a different continent in just a few short hours.  The uncertainty of when I will be in contact with my family and friends again is strange, but it’s all part of the adventure.  The boarding is starting for my plane to Madrid, so I better prepare myself.  I can’t believe that the decision I made on a whim in October is finally coming to fruition.  Next stop: Madrid.

(I’ll update more soon- I promise! I just need to catch up on my rest, but what I learned from the second half of my journey: everything happens for a reason.  I’m settling into my room now, and I need some sleep before I can write coherently. But I made it!! So excited!)