i so need to get better travel habits
travel drama #1: i was kinda sick when i got back from burning man and spent the first weekend back firmly planted on my couch. not feeling horrible, but not feeling like i could really leave the couch.
during that time i went online to get plane tix for the wedding in chicago. the cheapest tix didn't match up super well with my supposed travel partners, but anything else was too pricy, so it's what i went with.
a couple days before the trip, i went to check my exact itinerary and couldn't find it. no email anywhere indicating i had bought a plane ticket. i started logging into all my airline and travel accounts and couldn't find anything there, either. none of my credit cards show a transaction either.
that was impressive. either the tickets are still hidden somewhere or i actually just made up the memory of me buying the tickets and walking around for weeks thinking i did.
on the upside, i got to finally fly out of Long Beach and on Jet Blue.
travel drama #2: i didn't quite remember the exact time of my return flight, just that it was 7-something. i calculated the following:
15 min to deal with rental car return
10 to get from car lot to terminal
15 min to walk to gate
30-45 min for security from going through O'Hare security at 5:30 last year
30-45 min for traffic since it was going to be a crappy time of day
and 30 min for boarding and another 30 minute comfort, stress less buffer
thus i had me leaving the house at like 4-something so i had total overkill
we went downtown and got the rest of the wedding stuff that was still at the reception place and then got treated to a nice lunch at Morton's by the bride's cousin
they asked if i wanted to do anything else and it seemed like we had a spare hour or maybe two if i pushed it, but i figured it'd probably be best just to get back and spend any free time just hanging with them
after we unloaded the car i though "Maybe i should finally check when my exact departure was"
i had meant to when we printed the boarding pass that morning but got distracted and then we headed out the door before i got to
so, just before shutting off my computer and putting it away, i logged in to see my itinerary of 5:30 departure.
i'm guessing the 7-something was my old, imaginary flight
heh.
luckily i packed before leaving and was 30 seconds from being ready to go, so i gave some quick hugs and ran down the stairs, into the car and then said "oh. wait.... hey, how exactly do i get to the airport?"
then i just realized it'd be better to unpack my GPS and use that and headed on my way.
i remembered on my way that i hadn't filled up on gas and figured that, realistically, if everything went the way it should, i would have time to fill up on gas.
but then i figured it'd be 5-10 gallons that i'd pay an extra $2/gallon for and that a $20 dummy tax was worth it not to be stressed while driving in the starting rush hour traffic to get to the airport.
Hit the rental car lot (it was 8 gallons) and then sat forever in the bus while it loaded up and then finally headed to the airport.
There's a recording that plays announcing there are 4 stops for the bus and what airlines are at the next and current stop. i started to wonder if mine was last since i didn't remember any stops after being picked up.
after the bus driver helps folks off at stop #2 and the recording plays for the third time, the driver adds "Oh and Jet Blue." as he closes the doors.
Nice time to add that... so i get up and grab my bag and someone gets him to re-open the doors and i head off.
No line at the counter so i debate actually checking my bag, but i figure i should still just save the time and get through security.
security's got a bit of a line, but i think things should be fine. then they start letting folks through the another lane that's reserved for some sort of folks and things go zippier
i grab a drink and a snack along the way and just after i find a seat somewhere, they call pre-boarding for the flight.
during that time i went online to get plane tix for the wedding in chicago. the cheapest tix didn't match up super well with my supposed travel partners, but anything else was too pricy, so it's what i went with.
a couple days before the trip, i went to check my exact itinerary and couldn't find it. no email anywhere indicating i had bought a plane ticket. i started logging into all my airline and travel accounts and couldn't find anything there, either. none of my credit cards show a transaction either.
that was impressive. either the tickets are still hidden somewhere or i actually just made up the memory of me buying the tickets and walking around for weeks thinking i did.
on the upside, i got to finally fly out of Long Beach and on Jet Blue.
travel drama #2: i didn't quite remember the exact time of my return flight, just that it was 7-something. i calculated the following:
15 min to deal with rental car return
10 to get from car lot to terminal
15 min to walk to gate
30-45 min for security from going through O'Hare security at 5:30 last year
30-45 min for traffic since it was going to be a crappy time of day
and 30 min for boarding and another 30 minute comfort, stress less buffer
thus i had me leaving the house at like 4-something so i had total overkill
we went downtown and got the rest of the wedding stuff that was still at the reception place and then got treated to a nice lunch at Morton's by the bride's cousin
they asked if i wanted to do anything else and it seemed like we had a spare hour or maybe two if i pushed it, but i figured it'd probably be best just to get back and spend any free time just hanging with them
after we unloaded the car i though "Maybe i should finally check when my exact departure was"
i had meant to when we printed the boarding pass that morning but got distracted and then we headed out the door before i got to
so, just before shutting off my computer and putting it away, i logged in to see my itinerary of 5:30 departure.
i'm guessing the 7-something was my old, imaginary flight
heh.
luckily i packed before leaving and was 30 seconds from being ready to go, so i gave some quick hugs and ran down the stairs, into the car and then said "oh. wait.... hey, how exactly do i get to the airport?"
then i just realized it'd be better to unpack my GPS and use that and headed on my way.
i remembered on my way that i hadn't filled up on gas and figured that, realistically, if everything went the way it should, i would have time to fill up on gas.
but then i figured it'd be 5-10 gallons that i'd pay an extra $2/gallon for and that a $20 dummy tax was worth it not to be stressed while driving in the starting rush hour traffic to get to the airport.
Hit the rental car lot (it was 8 gallons) and then sat forever in the bus while it loaded up and then finally headed to the airport.
There's a recording that plays announcing there are 4 stops for the bus and what airlines are at the next and current stop. i started to wonder if mine was last since i didn't remember any stops after being picked up.
after the bus driver helps folks off at stop #2 and the recording plays for the third time, the driver adds "Oh and Jet Blue." as he closes the doors.
Nice time to add that... so i get up and grab my bag and someone gets him to re-open the doors and i head off.
No line at the counter so i debate actually checking my bag, but i figure i should still just save the time and get through security.
security's got a bit of a line, but i think things should be fine. then they start letting folks through the another lane that's reserved for some sort of folks and things go zippier
i grab a drink and a snack along the way and just after i find a seat somewhere, they call pre-boarding for the flight.