Day 11: Pattern

What a f****ng awfully loooong day. But at least we are finally home!

Here is the saga.

We awoke early in order to have breakfast, check out and head for the airport. Our original flight was to be at noon arriving back at Newark by 3:30 pm.

While R was getting ready (before we had breakfast) he checked his email. There was an email from our airline stating that our flight was cancelled due to weather and our flight was rebooked. Unfortunately, we were rebooked on separate flights, but both getting into Newark at 11:00 pm! I was livid! When I had made the flight reservation I had called up United to let them know that due to my disability we had to fly together! They were to put that notation on our reservation. Obviously someone dropped the ball!

I called up United to work out a new flight for us both ~ getting us both on the same flight and NOT arriving back in Newark so late. After about 45 minutes a flight was found with another airline that got us back to Newark by 5:00 pm. I was okay with that even though it was not a non-stop flight like our original one was. This flight was connecting through Charlotte, North Carolina.

Unfortunately this new flight was leaving St. Louis an hour earlier than our original. So we had to eat a quick breakfast, finalize our packing and rush to the car rental drop off spot. We made it to the airport, got through security (I always hate this part of flying) and made it to our gate with only a little time to spare.

The flight from St. Louis to Charlotte was delayed by around 30 minutes. I knew that there was only a short layover in Charlotte so I was a little nervous. I certainly didn't want to have to rebook another flight! I really needn't have worried because when we got to Charlotte we found out that the flight to Newark was also delayed. I guess there were some really bad storms and all flights into Newark were delayed.

We were finally allowed to board the plane and it taxied to the runway. Where we were NOT cleared for take off! After about two hours of sitting on the tarmac, we were finally allowed to take off. We didn't get back to Newark until 7:00 pm.

But after many cancellations, rebookings and delays we finally made it back home. And by going through Charlotte it put our total states visited on this trip at five ~ Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Oklahoma and North Carolina! Six if you count New Jersey!