Mad Dash

To fly to CA for my college roommate reunion, I first had to drive to Philadelphia. Just no real viable options for air travel when you live in the middle of nowhere. But instead of leaving at 3:00 am, I thought it best to stay somewhere the night before and then take the hotel's shuttle to the airport in the morning. I make it to Phillie no problem, arrange for a 6:30 am shuttle for my 8:15 am flight and go to bed. The next morning I am up and at em at 5:30 am, and out to meet my shuttle by about 6:25ish. I wait outside for a few minutes, no shuttle. I ask inside, and am told my shuttle picked up someone from their sister hotel just then and will be back to get me in less than 15 minutes. Why they couldn't pick me up on their way to the airport I will never know, but they don't and I wait. Fifteen minutes go by, then twenty. I ask inside again, and am told the shuttle should be there any minute, but he would call just to make sure. By this time, there is someone else waiting outside for a 7:00 am shuttle for her 8:00 am flight. I'm am a little irritated, but mostly calm, even a little impressed by my cool approach to the experience. But surely, the shuttle will be there for my new friend's appointment. Being an hour early for my flight wis still in the realm of the acceptable. By 7:10 though we are both getting anxious. Where is this dumb shuttle? The guy working the desk eventually found out that the shuttle guy had gotten into an accident at the airport and was caught without any identification. I'm guessing it ended up being quite the to do and that is why he didn't call to let anyone know. Without shuttle service, the hotel arranges for a taxi for us, but after another 15 minutes, the taxi service still can't find someone available to come get us. At this point, it is 7:30 am. My shuttle friend has missed the window of opportunity of getting onto her flight, and I am quickly losing my own. The airport is a mile or two away, I should have walked. But I remain calm and even joke about the silliness of the situation. So impressive. Really, I am so proud of myself. Finally, another hotel's shuttle comes to get us. I am the first stop and calmly but quickly, at 7:40 am, make it to the counter where there is NO ONE in line. Hallelujah, my first break of the morning. I am so doped up on adrenaline, I have to tell someone my story, but the woman at the counter is too busy beating the deadline for checking me in, that I am left to tell anyone else around who will listen. Next step, security. Again, NO ONE in line. The Lord surely loves me, I think. I have to submit to a search, because my cups of peaches I bought as a snack for the airport do not meet airport security guidelines. They are comfiscated and I again calmly but quickly started making my way to the gate where surely the plane is already starting to board. I follow signs to what I think is my terminal, but after I step onto the moving walkway, I realize I may not be going in the right direction. Some security guards confirm my suspiscion, and I turn around and run in the opposite direction. It's amazing how much harder than expected it is to make headway going the wrong way on a moving walkway. I'm sure I looked absolutely rediculous to any passersby. I retrace my steps, finally make it to my gate, which is indeed boarding, and with time to spare, make one last bathroom stop before getting onto what will evenutally be a pleasant, even friendly, but ultimately uneventful flight. So the moral of my story, if you have to stay overnight in Philadelphia before catching an early flight, don't stay at the Extended Stay Deluxe. Spend the extra money and stay across the street at the Courtyard Marriott. They have shuttles that leave every 10 minutes.