Mar 13th – Day of Missing the Plane

So today I am so stoked to be going to Rome with my friend Amanda who is from Auburn and in my arte class. She’s really cool and the two of us together work really well. So I’m happy to be traveling with her and am excited for a great spring break. I can barely concentrate in my classes and before I knew it, they were over. I booked it to my host home, where Ana made me a sandwich to go and wished me a good trip as I ran down the street to catch the bus with my suitcase. I met up with Amanda at the bus station and told her we can take the buses there since I took them when I went to Prague with Rachel and it was easy and fast. We got to the area where we connect for our bus to take us to the airport but it took 20 to 30 mins to get there. Then we were going to the airport and thought it was going to take us straight to terminal one, but it only goes up to terminal two and then you have to trek it to one. We didn’t know this until the bus went back on the highway toward where we waited for the bus!! Oh no, we asked if there was a bus that went to that terminal and the driver said yes, the one across the street. I ran as fast as I could with my suitcase and told Amanda to catch the bus. Good thing she did, because it would’ve left. The bus driver was threatening to leave but Amanda straddled the door and the street as I ran up. We finally got to the airport and the Ryanair check in was miles long and they only had one open booth to check in all of their flights everywhere!! It was 15 mins until our flight and then they close the flight if you aren’t there by that time. We missed our flight…I was crushed, and I felt horribly guilty because I suggested that we take the bus. How stupid of me! I apologized profusely to Amanda and we went outside where I called Dad sobbing on the phone because I didn’t know what to do and I felt so bad. He told me it was okay and it happens. Not to worry, we can look for another flight and he would check online right now to see when the next flight out leaves. After Amanda pretty much did the same with her dad on the phone, she told me it was okay. She wasn’t mad at me, and it was just as much her fault as it was mine. I didn’t know they would be late and much of the time in Spain things work out by chance. She knew of another way, and should have said something so not to feel bad because she knew of another way just as much as I did, or thought I did. She was being so nice which helped make me feel better but I still felt guilty. Dad found a good flight leaving first thing the next morning and booked both our flights. Amanda called her host mom who had a friend that drives cabs to pick us up tomorrow morning and he may give a discount. Not to worry, we were still going and had only missed being there the first night. We would make up for it. We took the train back to Alcala, I took my bus to my host home and told Ana what happened. She said she was sorry but heard on the news there was a short clip about how today all the buses are being called in during certain times for training sessions. They are spread out throughout the day and the buses in Madrid would be running late during the exact times we needed them. Figures. I guess it is as Amanda said, Spain is sometimes run by chance. Maybe this wasn’t ours but tomorrow was going to be. I crawled into bed and went to sleep.