Woah. Today was definitely an oh-my-goodness travel day. By the time it was over and I was FINALLY in Kalamazoo, Michigan, I felt like this:
Here’s how it went down:
- First flight was at 7 AM.
- Sat on plane until 8 AM in the heat because the air conditioning wasn’t working; then, the flight was canceled.
- Get on second flight in Charlotte. My carry-on bag is checked because there wasn’t enough room (you know where this story is going…)
- Arrive in Detroit and discover flight to Grand Rapids (a one-hour drive to Kalamazoo) is canceled due to mechanical issues.
- Wait three hours in airport. Next flight gets pushed back an hour, and then canceled due to weather.
- I start to panic a little bit… I almost cried, but I put on my big girl panties.
- Realize that I only have three hours before my presentation is suppose to start. Abandon checked bag, rent a car, and drive two hours in the pouring rain to Kalamazoo.
I arrived at the presentation site with only 15 minutes to spare! And only the clothes on my back and my laptop. Whew.
I popped into this cute little grocery store to grab some food:
I had some lovely chilled beets with goat cheese, tomatoes, and pistachios:
And roasted Brussel sprouts and other greens:
Then it was time for my Operation Beautiful presentation. I was so, so honored to be asked by the Girls on the Run Kalamazoo council to speak at their volunteer appreciation event. Their 5K is tomorrow (yes, a Thursday!). Honestly, I was in a really bad mood when I walked in (understandable, right?) but once I heard from local Kalamazoo GOTR participants and volunteers, I felt so much better. GOTR rules.
I also got to meet two readers, Chrissy and Kristin! They were so sweet.
The event featured speeches by girls, music, giveaways, and a presentation by little old me. I think it went well!
Plus, some appetizers – I grabbed the veggie spring rolls.
After the presentation, it was time for me to sort of all the travel snafus.
First, I headed to the Kalamazoo airport to confirm my luggage hadn’t arrived. The Delta representative at the Kalamazoo airport was SO helpful and rerouted my flight tomorrow. Instead of driving 1-hour away to fly out of Grand Rapids, now I can fly out of Kalamazoo! Wahoo!
And since I didn’t have any luggage (literally, all I have is my purse and laptop), I headed to Target for some necessities.
In the bag:
- Something to sleep in (nekkid in a hotel bed?! Ew. No.)
- Contact solution
- Shampoo and conditioner
- Toothbrush and toothpaste
- Clean underwear
I also grabbed a Clif Bar, which I ate right away.
And last, but not least, when I checked in my hotel, I asked the front desk for their ‘secret box of leftover cords.’ All hotels have a box behind the front desk of computer cords and USB cords that other people accidentally left behind. If you ever forget a charger (or your luggage gets lost), you can find almost ANY cord in the secret box. Just ask! Now, my iPhone is charging. And I’m happy.
Whew, what a day! It was rough, but I stayed positive, and it ended up being quite wonderful in the end… Let’s just hope my luggage is waiting for me back home in Charlotte!
Are you in the Radisson downtown (looks like it was straight out of the Jetsons?) If you are downtown K’zoo, you have to check out Food Danc.e
http://fooddance.net/
WONDERFUL RESTAURANT…