What travel plans are like in hell

So this last week I was lucky enough to visit the booming metropolis of Rexburg. After two and a half blissful days, I began my trek back to the Great White North. I was driving Terrah's Jeep which my father had purchased and so I was the transporter. The title for the vehicle hadn't arrived but I had a note of permission from Terrah, so we (Dad, Tyler and I) thought, hey I'll be fine.

It was a delightful drive with beautiful, clear roads, me belting to my favorite tunes on my Ipod and the time just flying by.

Soon I saw a sign for the Sweetgrass/Coutts U.S./Canada border crossing so I ring up my big brother, Tyler, to let him know I was about to cross and that I'd call him on the other side.

So I wait my half an hour til I make to the window where a young trainee is waiting, notepad in hand.

"Country of Origin?"
"Canada"
"Reason for visit to the States?"
"Visiting my brother and his wife"
Blah, blah, etc.

I get the usual questions which I was expecting.
I was also expecting the request for me to come inside and see the officer at the traffic desk.


I was a Canadian passport holder driving a vehicle with Idaho plates....



I figured that might slow me down a bit, but I figured it wouldn't be such a big deal. I had a note of permission from Terrah to drive her Jeep. It even said she expected me back Dec. 29.

So get to the desk and after a second officer peruses my documents, he looks at me and says , "Sorry, you, as a Canadian, can't drive a vehicle in Canada that has not had duty paid on it."

I looked at him with a bit of disbelief, but not total shock. "So I guess that means I'm stuck."

"Yep"

Well, it finally happened. I had officially been denied access into my own county. I could feel the tears starting to well, which was weird because I wasn't upset.
Out came the 'Oh crap' laugh and promptly hurried over to the pay phone to call Daddy.
We decided the easiest thing to do was for me to drive the 7 hours back to Rexburg and fly home the next day. Easy for him to say.
The 7 hour drive back wasn't bad. Roads were clear, the deer stayed away, and so did the speed limit enforcers. I was back by 12:30am and had repacked for my flight by 2 am. Did I mention I had to get a box full of costumes home for my dad's christmas project as well? I finally get to sleep prepared for the trip home.
The fun was just beginning.

Anyway, we get to the airport in IF about an hour early than I need to but that's alright. After a nice security pat down, I then flew to Salt Lake, waited three hours and then hopped a plane to Seattle. After a not-so-smooth flight, I head over to the opposite end of the airport to check in for my flight to Vancouver and then to Calgary. (One of those great multi-stop flights. It was the cheapest last minute one)
I get to the desk:
"I'm here to check in for my flight to Vancouver."
"Umm, hold on a second........ LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, DO TO EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS IN VANCOUVER, THE FLIGHT FROM THERE WAS CANCELLED. THIS MEANS WE HAVE NO PLANE TO SEND BACK. TO ORGANIZE OTHER TRAVEL OPTIONS PLEASE COME TO THE DESK SO WE CAN ASSIST YOU.....

um, what? Come again? Cancelled?! So I traverse to the desk to discuss my options with the nice man at the counter. "Sorry, all the flights for tonight are sold out and there's a 9 am flight to Calgary but it's sold out and there's a later flight but it's oversold, so here call this number and figure it out for yourself!"

Jerk. A lot of help you are.

Okay, so he didn't really say that last bit but I did have to call Air Canada to figure out a flight. I called and I swear Michel from Gilmore Girls answered. Well may be not but it sounded just like him.
I said I needed to reschedule my flight and so on and he said "Oh I'm sorry, the only flight I can book you one leaves at 6:55 tomorrow."

Oh I can handle that, I'm thinking, leave around 7 tomorrow morning, yeah that's doable.

"So would you like me to book you into that 6:55 PM flight tomorrow night?

Pm. PM. pm. P freakin' M!!!!!!

That's when I lost it. I just started sobbing. "I just want to go home! I had to drive 7 hours to the border yesterday and I got turned around and had to drive 7 hours back and now I'm stuck in Seattle and I just want to go home!"

I very upset and I'm sure quite incoherent, and the wonderful, nice man said, " Wow, Ok, well you can try to do standby on the 9 am flight to Calgary and that will be easier than the later flight. I will book you into the 6:55 flight so you will for sure have a flight. Bear with me and I'll get this sorted out."

He was a bit of light in the darkness.

So I got my flight all sorted out. I was scheduled to fly out at 6:55pm the following from Seattle to Calgary and then connect that evening to Edmonton.

I was going to have to spend the whole day in Seattle. By myself. yeah.

Did I mention this was my first trip traveling alone? yeah. good times.

After tellling a shocked Tyler what had happened I made my way down to the luggage carousel to get my bags so I could go and sleep at a hotel.
As I got there to Carousel 15 the luggage was just arriving and I thought yeah this should be quick, it's already here.
All the bags spew out and....Oh....mine isn't there. Well I merrily skip my way over to the baggage service desk for some assitance.
And the GENUINELY nice man at the counter informed me that my luggage probably hadn't been transferred from Delta. But if I waited for a bit they should be there soon.
Ok. time is 6:00

By this point, I have reached a numbness and nothing phases me.

one hour ticks by. the nice man from the desk came over to check on me and offered to track my bags by their tags. Turns out they were still with Delta. So he suggested I head down to the Delta baggage service desk. At the other end of the building. So I a mile later I arrive at the desk, inquire about my bags and about 15 minutes later I learn that they apparently have been transferred to Air Canada already. Ok.

Back at the United desk, the search is still is on. Delta apparently was passing the buck, because my bags were still missing.

The nice man (I think his name was Jack) kept checking back on me to make sure I was alright and to inform me of any progress. He got his best man on the job. Ted.

Ted was on the job.

Another lovely soul who came to my side was Ilene. Ilene is a kind baggage handler who was also on the search for my bags. Soon after hour 2 rolled around, Ilene came to visit me. Upon finding out that I was possibly going to spend most of the next day in Seattle, Ilene found me a map and gave me some ideas to pass the time. Sights to see and such.

It is now after 8:00 pm. Ted comes back to find out where I came from and informs me shortly after that there were notany bags from SLC back there. He continues his quest.

Finally, at 8:30 amidst the crowds now retrieving their luggage from another flight, the crowd parts and Ted comes through....

with my bags in tow.

Here come the tears again.

He had found them sitting by the plane. On the tarmac. Nice.

I thank Ted over and over again and then search out my other saviours. I find Jack and ask him to thank Ilene for me.

I will be forever grateful for them.


After a near death experience in the courtesy van to the hotel, I crashed for the night...hard.

I arrive at the airport the next morning at 7:45, hoping to get on the 9 am flight.By the time I get to the desk I'm really worried as it is 8:15 and they don't check luggage after 45 mins before the flight. Luckily, I'm on standby and after another security patdown, when I get to the gate, my name is called . They have a seat for me!

It was pouring rain in Seattle all day and night so the plane is late and takes off late but I hope I can make my connection to Edmonton, that I don't have a real ticket for. And I still have to go through customs and security. In twenty minutes. Did I mention I didn't have a ticket?

Through the blessings of easy customs, quick typing ticket agents, and slightly delayed flights, I made my flight to Edmonton.

I had made it to Edmonton. Finally.

But it's not over yet.

I wait an hour at the airport to be picked up. Fortunately Dad's best friend lives in Edmonton and came and got me.

The trick now was to get me home. The weather was bad and 3 hours is a long way for someone to drive there and back in one night.

The bus was the easiest choice so I ate supper with the Jaffray fam and arrived at the bus station ten minutes before it was scheduled to leave. Boarding was at quarter to, so I hurried over to the door and......click....click....clickclickclickclick..........oh no.

I thought the bus had left without me. Oh no, I can't handle this now, what am I going to do?...... Oh what the bus hadn't loaded yet? That was the boarding call just now? Thank you. (Cue Red Face)

After a three hour bus ride (slept the whole time) I finally arrived in Lloydminster thinking 'there better be someone here to pick me up...."

I step off the bus and collaspe with relieved sigh in my dad's arms.

Finally, two full days after my scheduled arrival, I had made it home.


This is what happens when you tick off the Travel Gods.