Many Miles to Michigan!
Friday, September 16th: I woke up at 3:00am to be ready for my taxi by 4:00am. Since I was going to the airport alone, I opted for not walking around Central London at 3am by myself to take a train or bus. I got to the airport by 5am and got checked in. After sitting around for awhile, we started boarding my plane.
Once everyone was boarded and ready to go, they announced that the pilot had found an issue with the engine and they needed to check it out. Come to find out, someone driving a piece of ground transportation hit one of the engines. Not good! So after sitting on the plane for 30 minutes, they deplaned us and told us to wait in the gate area for announcements. Then about 30 minutes later they informed us that our flight was canceled and we needed to go to another gate to get re-booked. After standing in line for another 15 minutes, they told us that we had to go back out of security and get our bags and then go to the arrivals area check-in desks to be re-booked on a flight.
This sounds easy enough, but since we were in the international terminal, we had to go through immigration and customs in order to get out of the secured area. So, I had to stand in the immigration line for an hour and then explain to them that I never left the county. After retrieving my bag, I stood in another hour long line until it was my turn. I was re-booked on another airline in another terminal, so I had to take my bag and check in with them. Of course, another line! After checking my bag and going through security, I got to my gate right as it started boarding. At this point, my arrival time had been delayed by 7 1/2 hours, as well as my arrival airport in the US was changed. Since I didn't have a cell phone with me or a way to reach my family, I called Jeff from a pay phone and gave him my flight details and trusted him to notify someone in my family about the changes, in order to avoid them going to the wrong airport at the wrong time. By the time I left Heathrow, it had been over 5 hours since my original departure time. What a hassle!
When I finally made it to Michigan, my parents were waiting for me! Yay! :)
I spent the next 3 weeks visiting my friends and family. Kelly Mae's wedding was on September 24th, so I headed to Grand Rapids a couple days before the wedding to hang out with Krissy and do some wedding stuff! I had such an amazing time at Kelly Mae and Bryan's wedding! It was beautiful and a great time to get together with people I hadn't seen in ages. Here are some pictures from the special day!
Once everyone was boarded and ready to go, they announced that the pilot had found an issue with the engine and they needed to check it out. Come to find out, someone driving a piece of ground transportation hit one of the engines. Not good! So after sitting on the plane for 30 minutes, they deplaned us and told us to wait in the gate area for announcements. Then about 30 minutes later they informed us that our flight was canceled and we needed to go to another gate to get re-booked. After standing in line for another 15 minutes, they told us that we had to go back out of security and get our bags and then go to the arrivals area check-in desks to be re-booked on a flight.
This sounds easy enough, but since we were in the international terminal, we had to go through immigration and customs in order to get out of the secured area. So, I had to stand in the immigration line for an hour and then explain to them that I never left the county. After retrieving my bag, I stood in another hour long line until it was my turn. I was re-booked on another airline in another terminal, so I had to take my bag and check in with them. Of course, another line! After checking my bag and going through security, I got to my gate right as it started boarding. At this point, my arrival time had been delayed by 7 1/2 hours, as well as my arrival airport in the US was changed. Since I didn't have a cell phone with me or a way to reach my family, I called Jeff from a pay phone and gave him my flight details and trusted him to notify someone in my family about the changes, in order to avoid them going to the wrong airport at the wrong time. By the time I left Heathrow, it had been over 5 hours since my original departure time. What a hassle!
When I finally made it to Michigan, my parents were waiting for me! Yay! :)
I spent the next 3 weeks visiting my friends and family. Kelly Mae's wedding was on September 24th, so I headed to Grand Rapids a couple days before the wedding to hang out with Krissy and do some wedding stuff! I had such an amazing time at Kelly Mae and Bryan's wedding! It was beautiful and a great time to get together with people I hadn't seen in ages. Here are some pictures from the special day!
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