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All The Little Stresses From A Previously Unplanned Stop By: A.X. Bueno

You were supposed to leave this evening and arrive with plenty of time left the next day

But suddenly that booked flight got canceled and you're leaving tomorrow instead

You'd be getting back with barely a few hours to prepare for work and that fills you with dread

You probably wouldn't make it but you need to or else you'd waste an unnecessary day

So you decide to check for better options to get back sooner and also call to see what others say

You find that almost every option including what they rebooked you for includes an extra stop

Whereas before it was a straight flight back home and a quicker trip with no plane swap

But now you're just hoping to make it back by tomorrow and instead getting technical issues

As the flights you actually want come and go with errors encountered and nervous about what you could lose

But you do get one and then spend several hours getting error messages as you try to do early check in

You want things to go as well as they can but you waste several stressful hours to be sure you're good to go and your flight has yet to begin

You planned to leave tonight but you get extra to try to unwind but there's a bit of anxiousness still there

You still have an extra stop to get home and they changed your flight once they could do it again without care

But no this time your choice of flight stays but notice a downgrade

You were supposed to be in first class as some kind of compensation but at least the important change was made

You'll wait till the morning to get there and see if you can get that back

Morning comes and you hope things go smooth as you have a plan of negotiation and attack

After one last breakfast you make it to your gate and wait for anyone at the desk to appear

When they do you do your best to make your case about getting a better seat class and make them hear

They eventually bump you up a class though not first but that's okay

They also check in your bag at the desk too happy that you didn't just downplay

You got what you wanted and then the plane actually on time arrives

You board it and then when you get to the assigned seat what you thought was your luck changing nosedives

Turns out thanks to some minor malfunction your seat has changed and no one bothered to tell

They assigned you a seat that was known to be unavailable and let you think things were well

That everything was taken care and you argue over it and bring up all the inconveniences past

Ultimately it doesn't matter and after some time and explanation you're stuck in the seat that's the very last

Along with two others in that same seat row you wait as there's a delay to taking off

After a little over a half hour and an extra bag of chips as compensation which you accept but also internally scoff

For all this worry and headache that and a hotel voucher you didn't need seemed to be your reward

And while the flight is long at least there's stuff to do and watch so you're not bored

After several hours and a trip through three or so time zones you're back on the ground

But this is only a layover stop and a whole new gate in this unfamiliar airport must soon be found

And of course with your luck as it is so far it's at the very end of this airport so off you bound

You were hoping to get something to eat but you want to make sure you make it with time left

You figured there'd be some decent food places to get something by your gate as time's pressure develops more heft

But instead what you find is lines and food that may be decent but you don't know

Everything here is either unfamiliar or would take time and this makes your anxiousness grow

As you're uncertain of how much time you have

Before you start boarding since back to the waiting area you still have to nav

You're uncertain and think you won't have enough time

So instead you try to get that compensation earlier denied by waiting at the desk line

But surprisingly no one is there and you're flight should be boarding and departing really soon

So you pace and wait and wonder if you'll have time after all while standing on what's less a line and more a disorganized, hoping to get going platoon

After a while of waiting with no sign of help coming you step away to text and call for advice

You discuss the whole crazy situation over

And how you wish among other things that their timing was concise

After waiting till a few minutes past when you were supposed to leave you decide to slip over

To a little convenience store that's nearby inside since you should have left and yet they still won't announce the delay

After a bit of back and forth you buy a wrap and some chips after a worrying wait

With a plan to eat it on the plane's tray

Turns out that you would have had the time but at least a delayed time was announced

After so long of being jounced around and then helping someone get something on it soon enough you're on the plane home

While you wait for it to start moving you dig into your bag, for lunch you comb through

It's late, past 8 now so you eat and finish fast

As you sit and wait to move and leave this southern biome behind

It takes a little while but soon you're off and you think of how back in Arizona you had a blast

You're in the back of the plane again though this time you had no chance to have whined

Though you don't think it would have been whining considering you've been through a lot

Still you have a good, considerably shorter flight and at almost an hour before midnight you land

An exit now is all that is sought

But before you head out of the airport you have to make sure you have your luggage in hand

You walk to baggage claim as you have so many times in this airport before

Relieved to be back home again, tonight instead of tomorrow as you worried

But still your return trip home decides to hit you with one inconvenience more

There is a delay with the luggage getting to where you are so you stand around and wait unhurried

It's a bit of a longer wait but while an annoyance eventually things move again with ease

With some time and vigilance you grab your bag and finally make it to the exit pleased

Well you thought it was one inconvenience more but it almost becomes two

As your taxi driver and his dispatcher start arguing leaving you unsure what to do

Unsure because they're arguing over if he's supposed to be in the spot to be able to take you

After a few minutes the two agree that you're good to go

You're relieved as you enjoy a smooth ride back home and you return to what you know

You set your stuff down and then almost immediately flop into bed

You're able to finally relax by yourself

Knowing you'll have plenty to take care of over the next few things

You really wish you had gotten home yesterday but that's already in the past

And all you have now to show for all this trouble getting back is some points you can turn into cash

But the trip was definitely worth it you think as you collapse, happy that you could get away