Have you ever taken a red eye flight? I haven’t-but thought it would be perfect. I could work a 10 hour day and then drive an hour to the airport, eat dinner and sleep on the flight to Las Vegas. I’d make it to Vegas by 10:30-be relaxing pool side by 11 pm.
I’ve mentioned that I am a time optimist before. I didn’t factor in delays-we ended up taking off an hour late. When we got to McCarren airport, I sleepily followed the crowd onto a tram to pick up my luggage. When I got to baggage claim I walked, and walked and then walked a little more. I got a new suitcase for the trip-one that I would be able to spot immediately. I didn’t see it anywhere. I also didn’t see anyone from my plane except for one family who was walking around dazed like I was. Finally I found a manager who told me that I was in the wrong terminal. I didn’t e
ven realize that airports might have 2 different baggage claim areas.
I walked more to find a shuttle to get to the correct terminal. After a 15 minute shuttle ride, I was finally back on track. I found my luggage and headed over to the Super shuttle where I would get my 11.00 ride to the Venetian hotel. They were closed. I saw the woman closing up. She shut the blinds in my face. There was a number to call for service-but no one picked up. I was worried about taking a cab-what if they took a really long route-and I ended up having a huge taxi bill. There are not a lot of taxis in my town, so I’m always hesitant to take one. It was fine. I got there for 17.00. Unfortunately, on the way back to the airport, it cost me 40.00. I don’t think there is a cross wind that would explain that.
I got to the Venetian and checked in-I was staying at the Palazzo and ended up walking my bags around the hotel. I finally got to my room shortly before 2 am. I wore my fitness tracker-I’d walked 6,000 miles since midnight.
The rooms were amazing. I’ve never seen such a large hotel room. I felt like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman-minus the prostitution and amazing thigh high boots. Check out how excited I was by my room.
So that was my journey to the TPT conference. Check back later this week to hear about how inspired I was by the amazing seller authors and fellow speech language pathologists I met at the conference. In the mean time, I’d love to hear your travel nightmares. I’ll pick one at random on Friday to win their choice of my vacation articulation packets. 
So sorry you had to go through that! My worst travel nightmare was having to fly to Fiji with crying babies on the flight. The other was major turbulence….nothing too exciting over here! Glad to have met you in person!!
I have so many travel nightmares, I wouldn’t know where to begin, however my return to NH on the red eye from ASHA schools in Phoenix might rate. I slept for 15 minutes and had such leg and foot edema I could barely walk all yesterday (proof on instagram). My hash tag? #theredeyeisthedevil
My family and I went to Europe for a vacation with my 3 boys and my mother in tow. My youngest (5 years old), who seemed to have a “nervous” stomach, vomited every day (2 weeks) in a new locale. We had to apologize all over Europe and he left DNA everywhere (sidewalks, street corners, hotel lobbies, etc). He’s 20 now and just laughs about it all. So do we : }
Oh no! Poor thing-I’m glad you can laugh about it now. You were my winner-can you let me know which articulation vacation product you would like?
It took the pilot three tries to land the plane in a rain-wind storm. The first time, we touched down then heard the jets pick back up and the plane rise again. The pilot got on the intercom and told us that we were landing too close to the plane in front of us and he was concerned about wind turbulence. The second time, same thing! Touched down, engines revved up and back into the air we went! This time, the pilot got on theintercom and told us that another plane was landing on the cross runway and he thought it would be a close call so he didn’t we’d try again!! Luckily, third time was the “charm” and we landed safely!
Yikes! That is a crazy story. Glad you were able to land safely.
I flew to the Phillipines for an Operation Smile (cleft lip / palate) mission (21 hours of flight time) and my luggage didn’t arrive with me. Luckily I had a change of clothes and toothbrush in my carry-on, because I can’t imagine staying in my travel clothing the additional 36 hours it took them to get my bag to me.
Good thing you are a smart packer! I never think to put that in my luggage. Love the Operation Smile Program.