My best friend and roommate from college got married in Syracuse, NY on Saturday. So Friday I got up at 4:30 am to fly from Norfolk to Detroit and then connect to Syracuse (I have no idea why I would connect in Detroit, but it was the cheapest ticket so I bought it).

I've never stood in a line at Norfolk's airport, and silly me, didn't remember that it was going to be a ridiculously busy weekend because of the holiday, so I arrived at the airport at 5:05 for my 6:00 am flight. Big mistake. I waited for about 15 minutes to check in for my flight and then I took the escalator up to security and the terminal. To my horror, I was greeted by a zig zagging, winding, never-ending line to go through security. I panicked. "Oh. my. God. I'm never going to make my flight!" Luckily, the line moved surprisingly fast, and I managed to board my plane 5 minute before take off. Phew, disaster avoided.

I wouldn't be able to avoid a disaster on the way home. I was flying out of Rochester (again, because I got a cheaper flight and it's only about an hour from Syracuse). So I was staying at my boyfriend's parents house for the night and planned on getting up at 4 am for my 6 am flight (I was determined to get there earlier and avoid a security issue). Mr. Fink (my boyfriend's dad) decided we should check the status of my flight just to make sure everything was okay (smart idea)... and there on the screen to my shock and horror were the little red words "cancelled." CANCELLED??! What? Why? Weather? Well, why is EVERY OTHER flight from Rochester going out except mine? These are all of the questions I tried to calmly ask the representative from Continental as she explained to me there weren't any flights from Rochester, Syracuse, OR Buffalo that could get me back in to Norfolk before 2 pm (the time my shift started at WVEC). Eventually, after about 2 hours on the phone with different representatives and on the computer scouring other airlines for flights, I admitted defeat and gave in. I accepted that I couldn't find another flight besides the Northwest flight they bumped me to (which was scheduled to connect through Detroit and arrive in Norfolk at 3:30--- an hour and a half after my shift was supposed to start). So after saying a few prayers to the airline gods, I went to bed, stressed out, upset, and worried.

After deliriously traveling from Rochester to Detroit (and sleeping curled up on the floor for an hour during my layover), I eventually made it home to Hampton Roads safely around 4:15 pm. I rushed into the station wearing a sweater, jeans, and boots (not exactly professional attire) but I did make it there in time to do a live report on holiday travel conditions (at least I knew the subject well).

Tonight I sit here at my desk, surrounded by luggage that I haven't had time to drop off at my apartment, thankful that I made it back in time to cover my nightside shift. But I've learned a valuable lesson--- don't count on the airlines. Especially around Christmas.

This weekend, I'm scheduled to fly to Philadelphia to celebrate a late Christmas with my family (since I'm working this week, my parents bought me the ticket as a Christmas gift). But I'm seriously considering driving instead of flying. The thought of boarding another plane nauseates me... and even though driving in the snow can be dangerous, I think I'd rather take my chances on the ground.