June 06 2010

I’m on this journey to Italy/France (and apparently Amsterdam) as one whose job it is to teach and yet I find myself in the airport learning all sorts of lessons.

1. It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been waiting or how nice you are, if your flight is cancelled, it’s cancelled. à My flight was scheduled to leave YYZ at 1pm (so I arrived promptly at 10am for check in etc.). Once all of this had been done it was up to me to just wait patiently. Around 11:30am I received a phone call from a strange number. It was the airline informing me that apparently JFK had some bad weather and my flight was cancelled and rescheduled to depart the next day. Well of course that wouldn’t do, as I had to be in San Remo, Italy in 24 hours. By calling the airline I was able to get on the flight leaving at 5pm that day (Sunday) and arrive in Amsterdam Monday morning, arriving in Nice at 11:40am. So I took it.
2. “relocate e respira“ Be patient, breathe, and be brave because everything will work out à So I may not have gotten the chance to see JFK airport on the way to France (I will have the opportunity on the way home) I get to take my connecting flight in Amsterdam. The AirFrance team at Pearson is incredible. They were so helpful and even asked if I had any preference in seating. Anyone who knows me well knows I had two preferences 1. nearest to the bathroom (small bladder) 2. Window seat (I’ve always had this thing about wanting to see everything I can. Turns out I got seated next to a really nice 20 something yr. old guy who offered me beers until we knew that AirFrance provides you with free booze during the flight.
3. Take inventory of what you’re holding & do one thing at a time à while going to the bathroom, I was also on the phone with my bank, letting them know I’d be traveling and not to freeze my account should some purchases show up from Italy. After setting down my boarding pass and other travel documents (passport securely in my purse…this time) I began washing my hands and using my shoulder to hold up the phone. As I left the washroom and noticed a Tim Horton’s just across the way I darted over ready to enjoy my last “Canadian” meal. It wasn’t until I was mouth full of chicken ranch wrap and needing my boarding pass when I noticed that the hand that held my folder so securely before was now clutching the Timmie’s bag. I ran back feeling incredibly oblivious when I saw a woman carrying, what looked to be, my (hard to miss) green folder. I looked at it, and then to the woman, and upon seeing my panic-stricken expression she said she was just coming to hand it over to the Info. Services desk but I thanked her profusely for saving my arse.
4. It’s always freezing cold in Airports. Despite my best efforts to stay cute and comfortable for my flight I was still exceptionally cold in a long dress and sweater.