I took a taxi to the airport around 8am with one of my apartment-mates (Jillian) who was on the same flight as me. We both made it through airport security with no problems and our four checked bags were at 50lbs each which meant we didn’t have to pay extra. When we boarded our plane around 11:15 we were amazed to find out that the flight was not completely booked which allowed the two of us to sit together. I was so happy that I knew someone on my flight and we were able to sit next to each other. Our flight was ten hours longs yet thankfully it did not seem it! We spent most of our time talking about Rome and how much we were going to miss it and all of the amazing things we were able to see when there. The rest of the time we spent watching whatever movies and televisions shows were being offered on the plane.
The two of us both started watching the same movie which was called The Tourist. It is with Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie and suprisingly it takes place in Venice. When they first showed Venice I got so excited I got teary eyed (I know, I am corny); Italy was my home and it hit me that I will no longer be living there.
The flight ended smoothly and we arrived in Philadelphia, PA around 2pm EST (which is 7pm in Rome). We went through passport check, baggage claim, and customs without difficulties and then we had to part ways because she was getting picked up at the airport while I had a layover before flying to Providence. It was so hard having to say goodbye. Jillian and I had become really good friends and I will definitely miss her.
Everything up until my layover in Philadelphia had gone really smoothly. However, as Murphy’s Law states, “any that can go wrong will go wrong.” After going through security again in Philly, I went directly to the Departures Board to look for my flight that was to leave around 6pm. I finally find my flight headed to Providence. As I gaze right to see what gate it is at, my smile of happiness of returning home is turned into an expression of bewilderment. My flight home has been CANCELLED. I was put into a state of havoc. I immediately start power walking to US Airways customer service desk. When I am finally seen by a representative, I give him my plane ticket and tell him that I guess my flight to Providence had been cancelled. I ask him if he could tell me why the flight was cancelled and he looks at me like I am crazy and says, “The weather is awful.” At this point in time I had no clue that there were major storms along the coast that resulted in hundreds of deaths. The customer service representative told me that the next available flight to Providence was at 10:50 pm. I’m not sure if it was because I had slept, had been on a plane for 10 hours, or just really wanted to go home, but I just started to cry. He proceeded to place a box of tissues on the counter and turn to the other customer service representative next to him. He says to her, “I promise I didn’t make her cry!” I asked if I could be put on standby for an earlier flight at 8:50pm. He said he would and that I was twelfth in line.
I went straight to the gate of the 8:50 flight and called my parents from a pay phone since I had no cellphone to use. I told them I would call them to let them know if I made the flight. I waited in the airport for almost five hours before they started boarding the flight. After everyone who had tickets boarded the flight, they started to call people to board the flight who were on standby. It seemed that all eleven people who were on standby were there to board the flight before me. I got really nervous that they wouldn’t have enough seats on the plane yet all of my worries went away when my name was called. I was told I had to board the plane immediately and therefore was unable to call my parents to let them know I was on my way home.
The flight to Providence from Philadelphia only took forty minutes and I was in Providence before I knew it. I immediately called home from a pay phone by calling 1-800-COLLECT. If you have every used 1-800-COLLECT you know they ask you to say your name so the person you are calling can either accept or decline the call. When asked to say my name, I said, “Sarah’s at TF Green [Providence airport]!” I then hear my mom say, “Sarah?” like she is stunned. It turns out when she didn’t hear that I got on the 8:50pm flight, she thought I fell asleep at the airport! She said she would leave right away to pick me up. I then proceeded to go to baggage claim and followed a Providence sheriff and his handcuffed criminal there (it turns out they had been on my flight).
I went to baggage claim and was really nervous my luggage wasn’t going to be on the flight because my original flight was cancelled and I was supposed to be on the 10:50pm flight. Thankfully, my luggage had gone on the next flight to Providence which was the same flight I was on. I carried my two fifty pound bags and backpack outside and waited for my mom. She came about 15 minutes later and I was so happy to see her! We went straight home where I was warmly greeted by my dad, grandmother, and dog. My grandmother then said to my mom, “Where are the girls?” I immediately think, “Hannah’s here?!” And just as I think that, my two best friends from Conn walk through the door!! I am sure the look on my face was priceless. I was so happy to see my friends again. I missed them so much.
I am so excited to finally be home. I missed my comfortable bed and pillow and the silence of streets outside. I was a little disappointed though to be awakened at 5am in the morning after falling asleep at 2am to my mother singing along with the hymns on TV for the Royal Wedding of Prince William and Katherine.
Thank you to everyone who has been following my blog the past four months I have been abroad in Rome, Italy. I have put a lot of time into writing my posts and hope you all have enjoyed them. If anyone is planning a trip to Italy or Europe and needs recommendations on where to go or what to do, I have four months' worth of adventures to suggest! Grazie mille! Amo Roma!
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