So my little story continues~
When we last left off we were waking up @ 3:00 am to catch a cab to the airport. We got there, got through security and were set about to wait. However the flight right before ours was canceled due to "adverse weather conditions". I couldn't get a wink of sleep...fearful ours would meet the same fate. But the weather looked fine, gorgeous and clear, I couldn't imagine England [being an hour away] would be so significantly different. We got ready to board but -10 minutes before boarding- we recieved the awful news. Almost every single flight had been canceled.
We were trapped in a mad house.
Luckily we had VT with us and the girl was a savior. She had already researched alternative routes when we were planning the trip originally. She had everything ready. We raced to a computer and bought tickets for the ferry. Then we were off in a taxi to the docks.
Off and away!
The ferry was gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. It's a pity I was so exhausted. I slept for most of the 2 hour journey. But it was amazing.
Not our ferry but...you get the idea...gorgeous!We got to Holyhead and were then faced with another challenge...how do we get to Oxford? Doing this last minute meant we had to throw worries about cost out the window. There was only 1 option. Buy an 80 pound train ticket. It had to be done and I had no qualms about it. In dire situations you need to do whatever you can.
At this point I finally phoned my mom to tell her I was safe. By this point I knew for sure what had happened, I know more now as well.
In Iceland, for the second time this month, a volcano was erupting. It sent ash into the sky and, due to high pressure systems, the ash was not moving and dispersing. The ash could clog up a plane engine and -apparently- scrape paint off an aircraft, get into the air system and choke the passengers and potentially even break the windows. It was real luck that we didn't fly that day. Real luck indeed. [Even now as I write this I have friends still trapped in Europe with no way to get back.]
We got on the train and traveled through Wales. It was gorgeous. I love Wales. It's my favourite. It took hours but we finally got home. 12 hours after our flight was canceled we arrived back in Oxford. I've never been so relieved in my life.
The view from the train along the Welsh northern coastGot home, phoned my mom again, and then crashed. I don't even remember falling asleep and turning off my light and computer. I was simply so tired.
So there's my Dublin adventure in its entirety. It was exhilarating, enjoyable and harrowing. I had to really buck up and make decisions on the spot and not care about the costs. I had to get home. And I did. I got home. It proves that Oxford really does feel like home.
I couldn't have done it without some people though. Thanks to VT for being so resourceful and knowledgeable about routes. Thanks to Syd and her BF for being there for support and a smile [they're so positive it's amazing]. Thanks to my parents for believing in me even when I was anxious...and for telling me they were proud of me. Really means a lot to know you have the love and support of your parents even when they're across the ocean. Also means a lot to survive such an adventure on your own.
[[expect one more blog post for today...for my position on the newest Doctor Who episode~]]
:: Julianne ::
No comments:
Post a Comment