Travel Adventures - Safely in NZ!

I started today...or I woke up Thursday to blizzard warnings in Denver. I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to fly out of Denver. It rained all morning, but by 3pm when I was leaving to meet my friend Becca to drop me off at the airport it was just overcast. We made it to the airport and I made it down to the gate with no issues. Then the downpour opened up. Flights were delayed into Denver and our plane had to wait for a crew arriving on another flight. I started to get worried that sure, I’d get out of Denver, but I would miss my connection in Los Angeles. I really wanted to be on that flight since I’m not sure how many flights per day there are to New Zealand. Finally the crew arrived – along with my seat-mate: a very loud, smelly woman who spoke only some Asian language. Her partner sat in the window seat directly behind her. The shouted at each other during the entire flight, passed food back and forth (bread, bananas, pretzels, hard boiled eggs). When she decided she wanted to go to the ladies’ room, she said something to me, motioned with her hands. As soon as I closed my laptop and put up my tray she stepped over me! The lady on the aisle was standing up to let us out so this petite woman stood with her fanny in my face for a good 3 or 4 seconds. … We made it to LA in time for me to make my connection. All’s well that ends well, right?

LA to Auckland
The flight from LA to Auckland was much better. The only creepy part was at the terminal in LA. I had to walk down these long white tunnels with electronic airlocks at points in order to get from terminal 6 to terminal 4. There was absolutely no one else in there. I was 110% sure I was in the wrong place or breaking some law and probably going to get caught between airlocks. At one point there was an odd sound behind me. It turned out to be a cop that zipped by me on one of those power-wheely-things…what’s the word for those? The next airlock was actually closed, so I had to go up the stairs and continue above ground. If I’d know you could walk above ground at the beginning I would’ve totally done that.

I had the aisle seat on my flight to New Zealand and the 2 women sharing my row were quite nice and at no point straddled me with the derrieres prominently displayed. I liked the head stewards phrase “If you’re not heading for Auckland, please kindly depart the aircraft.” No other instructions…no admonition…just “kindly” depart. He didn’t even say you had to use the front door…just depart the aircraft somehow.

There was quite a bit of turbulence on the flight, but this was oddly comforting while I was sleeping. Thanks to some Advil PM I probably slept a whole 8 hours of the 12.5 we were on the plane. That’s probably the first 8-hour night I’ve had in a month. The only down side was the 6-foot+ man behind me who liked to stretch out and in the process kept kicking the back of my ankles. Footsies at several thousand feet, anyone?

In New Zealand!
Here in Auckland – it’s now Saturday morning – I had to go through customs. The only hitch there is that I don’t know Calle’s address and I don’t have hotel reservations. So they wanted to see my departure tickets. And could I take off my hat? Apparently I look suspicious. Then, after re-checking my luggage, I had to walk to the other terminal (why can’t I just have a layover that doesn’t involve switching terminals?). To do this you follow the blue and white line between a chain-link fence topped with barbed-wire and some trailer offices bordered by hedges. At 4:30am. In the dark. Smelling jet fuel. Why did that not feel creepy, but the long white tunnel caused my stress levels to rise?

Good news – one last flight and I’m there! Despite the odd schedule and long travel, I’m feeling pretty good and getting excited to be there and TO NOT WORK FOR A WEEK!