My first anxiety attack...

Before I share the amazing details/pics of my recent "girls trip", I have to share about the miracle of me actually getting to Miami. One of the reasons I was so needing to get there THAT night, was because we were heading out first thing in the morning to go to Fowl Cay, the Munz's island in the Bahamas. I couldn't miss it.

It's a LONG story, so get ready...

My flight was supposed to leave on Thursday at 2pm. Wednesday evening, we had a HUGE storm. There were even tornadoes in the area...we never had to take cover, but it was close. The storms lasted through the night and until about 11am on Thursday morning. I was a bit concerned that my flight might be delayed, with all the weather that had been going through. I called the airport around 10am to check the status of things, and so far, everything was running smoothly. HA. So, my dad picked me up with the boys at noon, and we headed for the airport. I had only packed a carry on, just to make things quicker and to avoid the ticketing counter. I decided to call the airline on the way, just to see how things were looking (clouds were crystal clear by this time)...and to see what gate I was to leave out of. Flight cancelled. WHAT!?!?!?! No big deal, there were 3 more flights that night. She went ahead and confirmed me on the 5pm flight. I decided to go ahead and go to my parnets house so that I didn't have to wait all afternoon at the airport. Around 2, I decided to call and check the status of that flight. Cancelled. Again, WHAT??!?!?! No big deal, they said they'd book me on the 7:20pm flight. I did find out that there was a 11am flight that was still delayed, and would be until around 4:30pm. I decided that there was no use sitting around the house, with the boys asleep. I needed to be at the airport to try to talk my way onto one of those planes. I got to the airport around 3. Thank goodness I had only a carry on bag, and I had already printed my boarding pass. I skipped right through the MASSES of people in the ticketing area, straight through security.

As I approached the gate, I knew there would be ZERO chance of me getting on that flight. There were already 98 people on the standby list, and it was an oversold flight. I was a bit disappointed b/c I hated getting to Miami at 11pm, but at least I was confirmed on the flight, so I didn't have to worry about going standby. As soon as they made the final announcement that the flight was closed, I decided to go ahead and head on over to the gate where my 7:20pm flight was to depart from. I was one of the first ones there to get my seat assignment, etc. It was then that she informed me that I was, in fact, NOT confirmed on this flight. She was going to put me on the standby list, which at this point, had reached 150 because all the other passengers on the other standby list, had carried over onto this one. And, it was another oversold flight. This is when my anxiety attack started. I tried to sweet talk her, cry, tell her that I HAD to get to Miami tonight. I told her that I had a flight out the next morning that I couldn't miss. "What airline?" she wanted to know. "Um, a private charter flight" was my answer. That didn't help getting sympathy from her! So, I left the desk with tears rolling down my cheeks, feeling defeated. I found the quietest table I could find, plopped myself down, and SOBBED. Oh, and the 9pm flight had been cancelled.

I decided that I would call American Airlines just to see if there was anything they could do for me. What else was I going to do? The automated message said it would be a 20 minute hold time....and while I was holding, I remembered that I HAD FORGOTTEN MY PASSPORT!!! **swear words** This, of course, was vital in getting to the Bahamas. While I was sure I wasn't going anywhere anytime soon, I figured it couldn't hurt to get that passport, just in case a miracle were to happen. Thank goodness for iPhones and being able to text while on the phone. I texted back and forth with my mom and arranged for my dad to go to my house and get my passport and bring it to me at the airport. Finally, a lady picked up. I explained the whole situation to the nice lady on the phone. She looked, and said, "well, I can't believe this, but there is 1 open seat. I can give it to you right now and confirm you on the flight." I tried not to get too excited just in case it were to fall through. I cried in her ear and told her that she was the nicest lady I had ever talked to... words can't describe how I felt. Shaking, I headed back to the gate to see about getting a boarding pass. I honestly thought I was going to hyperventilate or pass out or something... Same lady. Yep, I was confirmed. I got a seat, a boarding pass, and a new lease on life! My dad got to the airport with my passport, with plenty of time to spare.

The flight didn't end up leaving until about 9, and I didn't arrive into Miami until 1am, but I was there. The fun could begin.