The six of us got to Chicago O'Hare airport and enjoyed what we thought would be our last American meal for a year. The Rwanda country group was traveling with the group going to Central Europe to Washington DC and getting on our international flights from there. It was really nice to have some more time with these friends before we went our separate ways for a year!
After getting onto the plane, we awaited take-off. Our friendly flight attendants informed us that due to a mechanical issue, our takeoff was going to be delayed. I've traveled quite a bit in my life, so I felt confident that we would get in the air quickly make up for lost time in the air. Both groups had just over an hour to get to our international connection, so we were keeping a close eye on what was happening. And I was so incredibly incredibly wrong.
After an hour and a half, our flight finally takes off. We're hoping that our connections might be delayed as well and we can still catch flights out to where we're going. Unfortunately, as we got to DC, a thunderstorm set in and we couldn't land. We ended up diverting to Pittsburgh and sitting on the plane for a few hours. My friend Beth and I were definitely feeling antsy but kept our spirits up with many selfies.
Despite the frustrations and stress, I was reminded--as I always am when flying--how breathtakingly beautiful the sky is.
We finally were able to land in DC--over four hours after we were due to arrive. Needless to say, we missed our connections. After some negotiation with Customer Service, we were all set with new flight plans and a hotel outside the city in Virginia. We made our way to the beautiful and castle-like resort that the airline had put us in and reveled in our year of humble service while lounging in fluffy bathrobes, enjoying flat screen TVs, and relaxing in our private rooms.
We're on our way to the airport again shortly, so hopefully we are able to get to Amsterdam and then Rwanda soon!
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