The finale!

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There are some times in life when you really hope there's truth to the old saying: 'What goes around, comes around..."!

Michael, Lucas, and I are back home safely, and for that we're thankful. But if you knew the ordeal we had to go through to get here, your jaw would drop. A simple trip back home which included 1 connecting flight and 12 hours turned into a trip with 3 connecting flights (2 of which were 'missed' flights), a total of 30 hours, and a husband almost sent to 'Brazilian jail' for outrage (just kidding...)!

It all started with a lady in the Fortaleza airport who was unhappy with her seat assignment (hince the 'what goes around' comment). She was one of the first passengers on the plane, so she makes this HUGE scandal, which in turn delays boarding for everyone else. The result? a 45min. departure delay. So the snowball starts...

We then were delayed actually landing in Sao Paulo due to the air traffic control. All of this resulted on us missing the international check-in deadline by 4 minutes. This is where it gets funny (now, at least). Michael got pissed because they refused to check us in, even though the actual direct flight to Atlanta did not leave for another HOUR. When I asked the poor Delta employee: "So, you're telling me that there's no way you will check us in for a flight that doesn't leave for another HOUR?", the reply I got was: "Yes, I am telling you that you'll be placed on another flight, AND you're not going to Atlanta tonight!". The Brazilian Delta employee got smart with Michael, so he walked off to tend to Lucas while I tried to reason with her. When I got back to him and explained what we would end up having to do, he goes: 'Well good! Because I was about to go to Brazilian Jail!' I got a good laugh out of that line...

Long story short, we got re-routed to New York's JFK, leaving that same night, and from JFK we would leave for Atlanta at 8:30am...not bad considering...Just when I thought it was over, it wasn't!

Our flight to NY was delayed for 1 hour, for some unknown reason. The result? We arrived in NY at 8:15am. So yes....we missed our flight to Atlanta! Delta places us on another flight, but that flight did not leave NY until 1:45pm. We hang out at JFK for the morning, trying our best to keep Lucas moving so he could nap on the plane. At 1pm, Delta then announces that our flight would be delayed for yet another hour due to weather in Atlanta.

At this point, I was already convinced of several things: 1. We would never get home, and we'd be forced to become Yankee Nomads living out of suitcases, 2. Our son would never want to see another airport, and would resent us for the rest of his life for the emotional trauma...actual red dollar signs crossed my peripheral vision when I thought of his future therapist bill, and 3. I actually considered a revolutionary move that would change the course of history, by mapping out a forceful overtake of DELTA AIRLINES. I would impose a 'Hittler-ship' sort of regime, and completely re-structure them by introducing an alien concept (to them at least)....I would ironically title this concept: CUSTOMER SERVICE!

Back to my story, we board at 2:40pm, everyone is seated and ready. The dumbass pilot then comes on the microphone and says: Passengers we got good news and bad news, the good news is that we WILL go to Atlanta today. The bad news is that due to traffic on the runway, we'll have to sit in this plane until 4pm (another hour and a half in case you're still counting) in order to take off. So let's all put our patience hats on and be positive...'. Ok, at this point, I almost physically made my way to the cockpit to show that pilot where he could stick his patience hat...Michael held me back and reminded me that I'd be in the news and that we're actually members of a Christian Baptist church, so we should just take a deep breath and find the humor in all of this 😊

We arrive in Atlanta at 6pm Saturday night (exactly 12 hours AFTER our planned arrival of 6am). Lucas is pissed, and tired, and Michael and I are physically beat.

To summarize this book: I hope the lady who got mad at her seat assignment Friday afternoon rested comfortably in her bed that night, and that the Lord Jesus be with her! Amen.

Patricia

PS: I'll find a way to get some photos of our amazing trip and send to everyone shortly 😊

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