What a day!

Okay - so the day started off fairly well! I repacked my suitcases and I think that they are both now in their limits. Then I went and spend the day with Ronel in Borel - more fun, taking photos of the neighbourhood kids, playing the "Voyage game" (some little tiny game - it was interesting!) Then I showed Ronel how to play the Frog Hopping game, ate some yummy food and then came home. Decided to check my emails and it was good I did - email from my mom saying that she had gotten a call from American Airlines saying my flight to Florida on Tuesday was cancelled. So, panic starts to slowly set in, try to call my mom - no answer, so next best thing - call your big brother and tell him to call mom and email me more about the cancellation. Well - turns out there wasn't a whole lot more to tell!

So amazingly - I was able to call the 1-800 number from my cell phone here ( didn't work when we tried to call in October for my cousin Lynn!) and spent a long time and lots of gourdes (Haitian currency) to find out that American Airlines isn't flying from Port to Ft. Lauderdale before March 1st! Well - that wasn't what I wanted to hear and so I asked what my options were - the lady said that they were still flying twice daily into Miami from Port and there was room on the 11am flight on Tuesday - so I quickly grabbed it and then called the next airline to change the rest of my flights home. (cause the Miami flight (arrive 1:10pm & then go through customs - min 1 hour plus find transportation to Ft Lauderdale) wouldn't allow me time to connect to my current flights scheduled to leave Ft. Lauderdale!)

So wait on hold for Continental only to find out that even though my flight in Continental airlines and I have a Continental confirmation number and I can see my itinerary online at Continental.com - I don't have a Continental ticket!! It is an Alaska Air ticket - so 3rd call - and I get the most helpful & wonderful lady (insert tons of sarcasm here!!) She said that the only option she saw for the 14th would cost me $300US minimum! & that there was no way she could let me change the flight without change fees -even though this isn't my fault at all! American Airlines cancelled all flights into Ft Lauderdale - what do you want me to do!

Now, my original ticket with Alaska/Continental was $228 Cdn - a really good deal from Floriday to Vancouver! Then, after I almost cried asking her if there was any other options available to me, she tells me that there is a flight on the 16th (2 days later!) that would only cost me the $50US change fee.

Now, I really don't want to have to spend 2 days in Florida! I want to leave Haiti and arrive in BC - all in the same day! This departure is already emotional enough - I don't need two days to sit in Florida and think about how much I miss Ronel and also how much I want to see family & friends in BC. I do have a friend who I can most likely stay with for the two nights (though it is now Sunday morning technically and I would arrive Tuesday and I haven't gotten a hold of her yet - If I decide to do this - I'll have to call her tomorrow cause she doesn't check her email often)

The lady at Alaskan Air said my other option was to search for a cheap flight online with any carrier and then just eat the price of the current ticket with Alaska (though I think I should be able to get a credit for it - or something!) If it worked out to be anything less than the $300 US - I'd be saving money . Well - after searching, and searching, and even more searching - this "travel agent extrordinaire" (one of my many titles here at HATS) was not able to find anything for less than $300Cdn - well that is not that much of a difference than $300US!

And as tempting as it is to want to see Eileen & leave on the 16th (and save money!)- that also means I don't get to see my mom when I arrive in BC and that isn't cool to me! I want to see my mom - I need to see my mom! She is flying out on the 15th with her mom to visit my aunt & uncle in Curacao (some island off the coast of Venezuela) She will be gone for 3 weeks returning the 9th of March - that is too long to not see my mom while I am in BC (especially since I haven't see her for 3 months already!) I want to be home on the 15th to go to minichurch, to see my sister & my nephews, to see my friends!

well I am going to go sleep on this and make my decision in the morning!

Good night!!