It’s me, hi, I’m the problem, it’s me..
Going to Antarctica was a breath of fresh air on so many levels: work, personal, professional, instagram, etc
My mantra lately has really been: Catch flights, not feelings for a reason….
The expedition to Antarctica was not without a lot of pain and suffering so I will share the entire journey which will humor you and equally stress you as it did me.
On the way down….
Left from Columbus to Atlanta and when we arrive in Atlanta there is a delay due to a white substance on the plane – so discussion includes bomb, fentanyl, cocaine; after 3 hour delay – it was determined to be: Miralax – a laxative in a seat coming from Jo-Berg (S. Africa)
Not sure if that is actually the real deal but that’s what they said and we headed to Santiago Chile. When landing in Santiago, we missed the connection to Punta Arenas – and Delta rebooked us for a later flight – thankfully.
Or almost…
We go through customs and go to rebag check for connections – to be told that we cannot get a boarding pass and our luggage cannot be checked bc Latam and Delta don’t talk and the confirmation code is new because it’s a new reservation. So it now upstairs to find Delta.
Delta counter is not open til 8 pm. Go to Latam and stand in line for an hour to tell me that we have to walk to domestic terminal with all of our luggage.
So pack mule Heidi has to lug all of my items to the next terminal – carryons and checked bags… it is a thing… and no carts available…
Get over there and Latam says go to the kiosk – did and it won’t accept the new reservation. Go back to the Latam person who disappears for 20 minutes and returns with a new code. I go to the kiosk and does not work for me…
The lady comes over from Latam and is shocked it doesn’t work for her. Go back to the other counter again – and finally they walk us up to the counter (couldn’t get here unless you had a boarding pass) so she helped us. Finally took our bags.
After 4 hours of the charade game of luggage, it’s now time to go through security. Here it gets dicey.
Mom goes first with her stuff in the bin and passport under her jacket – specifically saw it and my bin is filled. She goes first – I push the bins and go right behind her.
As she waits on the bin, her passport is gone – legit gone. So at this point – it’s been a day. I have had about all I can handle. I am over it all. I actually tear up – this is going to ruin the trip without a passport.
My mom was like – I don’t have it and I made her empty the pockets and am like – maybe you picked it up … so about 10 minutes later a guy yells “Joy” and my mom says yes… a guy says a dude just threw this in my bin as he ran by and another guy confirmed it.
It was my moms passport – without pdi and without boarding pass but thank goodness. We hugged the guy, got new boarding pass for mom and arrived at the gate.
We fly into Punta Arenas and you think – that has to be it … wait….nope… there is more. When we land, the load shifted and we cannot get off the plane – we have to unload person by person starting at the back so the plane doesn’t tip over. Legit…. Cannot make this stuff up.
Eventually get off the plane and our luggage is there! #winning. Until we weren’t…
We are on the way to the hotel when my mom says I cannot find my medication … what do you mean? She is like – it’s not in the carryon and I have to have it.
We look everywhere at the hotel – dumping everything and still no medication. I go to the front desk to see about a doctor, urgent care, hospital to get a prescription and to my shock… go to the pharmacy – most things – no prescription…
We walk across the street and mom got both prescriptions for $50 ! Same stuff and all good to go…. Later that night – we found her medications zipped in a hidden compartment in the backpack… ugh 😑
So the next day is check for our adventure to Antarctica and out of 150 passengers about 40 were singles – literally traveling alone and several singles that had a friend travel with them so it was a surprise that so many would come alone.
I said earlier – catch flights not feelings and I mean it. I came on the trip with mom and talked to people from all over the world – it was incredible to meet so many like minded people with travel brains and epic adventures and wanderlust.
I could not have been happier. Truly best trip of my life. As we sit through the introduction of our adventures, there is a short dinner following with massive tables of 10 people per table.
As a patient person, I was number 2 in line for food – it was buffet and decent – sat down and starting eating like it was my last supper. I was hangry by the time we were called to dinner.
At the table, a few people sat down… a guy about 5’6 sat down and another guy – his brother at 5’4 sat down and they were talking about coming last minute on this trip. The 5’6 guy started hitting on me at the dinner table and I didn’t like it – he was telling me his resume, his work, his NYC lifestyle as a hedge fund guy who was laid off and is currently enjoying his severance package.. my mom is next to me and is laughing at the awkward amount of hitting on that was occurring.
So I am eating, not really talking and get up for dessert – when I sit back down .. he starts from across the table continuing to spout the rhetoric of his life accomplishments and achievements … for his mom to sit down and say – it seems you have forgotten that your pregnant wife is at home.
Now…. Mic drop
Everyone at the table is stunned, shocked, and legitimately like dude … so he proceeds to say yeah – he got his severance and decided on Antarctica and she couldn’t travel so too bad for her. I was just so taken back, shocked, appalled and felt so bad for his wife… who behaves like this with your mom and brother next to you?
Anyway, the trip got a lot better…. More to come ❤️
Low places – is the song for this episode.
