Did I mention that my return "home" to Uzhgorod was a little hectic and a real slap to my all-too-often lack of faith?
Let's go back to the Thursday morning that I left Atlanta.
I printed my boarding pass from a Kiosk and while I was there I had an opportunity to purchase a Day Pass for one of the Airline lounges which I thought was a good idea since I had about an 8 hour layover in Chicago.
Once I got to Chicago I got... confused. I was flying KLM from Chicago to Detroit to Amsterdam to Budapest but it turns out that KLM flies out of two different terminals in Chicago, from both a domestic terminal and an international terminal. I assumed I was flying from the international terminal so I went there and discovered that the ticket desk didn't open till noon...and I was not in the "secure" area of the airport because my ATL-Chicago leg was a separate ticket/ separate flight....so I was lugging my baggage around with me and I couldn't access the lounge area that I paid for because I couldn't get a boarding pass to enter the secure area! Frustrated yet?
So I sat in the cheap seats until noon and then learned that my flight actually originated from the domestic terminal in which I could have received a boarding pass for earlier that morning had I know. Once there, I promptly either sat my IPad down or it fell out of my backpack or it was pickpocketed...I don't know. I just know I lost it and the Airport Police were most unhelpful.
With the help of another passenger we were able to track my IPad to a part of the airport but we couldn't find it so I boarded my flight thinking I had seen the last of my IPad.
Oh...I almost got bumped from my flight...thought I was gonna get a voucher for a free flight...but ended up getting bumped to first class on another flight and going through Paris. Ok, Business Class was nice...but with the last minute change, the airline lost my baggage.
And then, instead of delivering my bag to the hostel in Budapest where I spent 4 nights, they delivered it to Uzhgorod and almost couldn't deliver it because I wasn't there. Fortunately, I was able to contact my friends in Uzhgorod and they were able to get my baggage for me. Whew!
Thanks to the IPads recovery software, I got an email from an airport employee who found my IPad...we were able to get it mailed to one of our Interns in time for her to bring it to me when she arrived a few days later.
Crazy!!
And then when I finally go to Ukraine there were 6 young ladies from the World Race staying in my apartment. I was really glad to be able to bless them with a free place to stay (since I wasn't here most of the month anyway) and they certainly were a blessing to a lot of people in Uzhgorod...but still...6 of them, plus two of our summer interns means I shared my apartment with 8 girls for a few days. Never a dull moment!!
I'm glad to be back though. I have good friends here and Gods work is visible and tangible.
The Presidential Elections went off pretty well I think and it appears that a lot of the trouble in the East is perhaps starting to simmer down. Hopes are a little higher than usual I think...although it doesn't take much.
I went to my first Ukrainian School Graduation tonight...maybe I'll write about it in the next few days.
Let's go back to the Thursday morning that I left Atlanta.
I printed my boarding pass from a Kiosk and while I was there I had an opportunity to purchase a Day Pass for one of the Airline lounges which I thought was a good idea since I had about an 8 hour layover in Chicago.
Once I got to Chicago I got... confused. I was flying KLM from Chicago to Detroit to Amsterdam to Budapest but it turns out that KLM flies out of two different terminals in Chicago, from both a domestic terminal and an international terminal. I assumed I was flying from the international terminal so I went there and discovered that the ticket desk didn't open till noon...and I was not in the "secure" area of the airport because my ATL-Chicago leg was a separate ticket/ separate flight....so I was lugging my baggage around with me and I couldn't access the lounge area that I paid for because I couldn't get a boarding pass to enter the secure area! Frustrated yet?
So I sat in the cheap seats until noon and then learned that my flight actually originated from the domestic terminal in which I could have received a boarding pass for earlier that morning had I know. Once there, I promptly either sat my IPad down or it fell out of my backpack or it was pickpocketed...I don't know. I just know I lost it and the Airport Police were most unhelpful.
With the help of another passenger we were able to track my IPad to a part of the airport but we couldn't find it so I boarded my flight thinking I had seen the last of my IPad.
Oh...I almost got bumped from my flight...thought I was gonna get a voucher for a free flight...but ended up getting bumped to first class on another flight and going through Paris. Ok, Business Class was nice...but with the last minute change, the airline lost my baggage.
And then, instead of delivering my bag to the hostel in Budapest where I spent 4 nights, they delivered it to Uzhgorod and almost couldn't deliver it because I wasn't there. Fortunately, I was able to contact my friends in Uzhgorod and they were able to get my baggage for me. Whew!
Thanks to the IPads recovery software, I got an email from an airport employee who found my IPad...we were able to get it mailed to one of our Interns in time for her to bring it to me when she arrived a few days later.
Crazy!!
And then when I finally go to Ukraine there were 6 young ladies from the World Race staying in my apartment. I was really glad to be able to bless them with a free place to stay (since I wasn't here most of the month anyway) and they certainly were a blessing to a lot of people in Uzhgorod...but still...6 of them, plus two of our summer interns means I shared my apartment with 8 girls for a few days. Never a dull moment!!
I'm glad to be back though. I have good friends here and Gods work is visible and tangible.
The Presidential Elections went off pretty well I think and it appears that a lot of the trouble in the East is perhaps starting to simmer down. Hopes are a little higher than usual I think...although it doesn't take much.
I went to my first Ukrainian School Graduation tonight...maybe I'll write about it in the next few days.
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