We made it home!

(I am trying to catch up my posts to the present so sorry for all you that already know about this)


We missed our last flight in Chicago. Our flight from Newark was delayed two hours and since our layover was only an hour and a half, we missed the flight from Chicago to Salt Lake. I have to admit that I cried. They told us as we were getting off our Newark flight what gate to go to, however they told us the wrong gate so we really had no hope of making it. I wanted to be home so badly. We had been traveling for about 24 hours already with pretty much no sleep and to be only three hours away from home - how could I not cry!


Then, I got to stand in a United Airlines customer service line for an hour and a half so that we could reschedule our flight. I was in line with several people whose flight had been cancelled altogether and apparently the place that they were going to was really only a two hour drive and yet they were looking at being stuck in Chicago for two days if they wanted to get there by flight. Needless to say, they were not "happy campers" and by the time I got up to the customer service lady, she was in a sour mood (perhaps she was already in a sour mood anyway). My mom suggested that she would be a perfect Ukrainian customer service employee, as customer service in Ukraine is lacking in many things - such as courtesy, respect, and friendliness. The lady was so rude to me that at one point I said to her (between tears), "Why are you being so rude to me? I have not been rude to you at all!" She looked right back at me with this blank stare and said, "But I compensated you." I asked her what that meant and she showed me the first class tickets that she pretended were her idea, despite the fact that I was standing there when she discovered that the only flight that had been rescheduled was Katya's and that Tony, I and my mom's tickets were not on the same flight as Katya (and I think the only seats that were left were first class). I rudely said, "Thank you" and got away from her.


We spent the night in the Chicago airport. The weather that caused our Newark flight to be delayed was not a good enough reason for United Airlines to give us a hotel room and because we didn't want to spend $200 dollars (and who knows how much on a taxi to get to the hotel!) to possibly get five hours sleep in a hotel room, we decided to stay in the Chicago airport. People sleep in airports all the time - how bad could it be? It was 10 pm and our flight was leaving the next morning at 6 am so that was only 8 hours - no big deal. We could get something to eat and find a somewhat comfortable place to sleep.


Our first mistake was trying to find something to eat. Everything was closed in the terminal that we were at, including the McDonald's. We asked some of the workers and they swore that if we left the secured area and went to Terminal B, there was a 24 hour McDonald's. So we left the secure area in search of a non-existent McDonald's and when we tried to get back into the secure area, the gates were all closed for the night. So we spent the night in the unsecure area - albeit next to the lone security guard that was posted to make sure no one tried to get in - sleeping on a hard wooden bench in a freezing cold area of the airport.

Sorry - but I am actually bored writing this so I will finish with this: we finally made it home and I was sooooooooo happy!!!!! Very tired - since we had traveled for about 40 hours straight but soooooo happy!!!

I do want to say one more thing about our flight home. While in the Ukraine, my mom had commented that not once did any guy offer to help us carry the stroller. We hauled that stroller up and down so many stairs and over so many potholes that I feel weary just thinking about it. Had we been home, there is no doubt that some nice guy would have offered to help. The funny thing about this is that we were on the flight from Ukraine to Frankfurt and I was hauling Tony in the baby carrier, had a diaper bag on my back, my laptop bag on my shoulder and was trying to wrestle with the stroller when out of the heavens (Ok - so not really but it sure did feel like it!) I hear, "Let me help you with that" and a young guy grabs the stroller and carries it for me. It took me a little bit to realize that he had actually spoken English and when I asked him where he was from, what to do think he said? The Ukraine? Ha! Ha! Not even - he was from Texas! Figures! He was there adopting, too!