Horrific Experience in London... Part 2

Part two started upon touch down in London.
First let me just say that flying over London was amazing!! I got to see some amazing views from the air. Places that I hope to one day see. (Check out the photos)
When we landed we were let out of the plane... but no ticket agents anywhere to be seen. They just told us to check the boards as we were exiting the craft. So to the board I went. But I didn't see my next flight on there. Ugh. NOT AGAIN! I decided to go ask whomever I could find. I followed the connecting flight passengers down to the terminals station. I asked one of the drivers (because in order to go from terminal to terminal you had to take a bus) where I could find information on my flight. He asked where I was going and I told him Jordan and he directed me to get on the bus for Terminal 5. So to the bus stop I went and waited. AND WAITED.
20 minutes later the bus showed up and took myself and the other travelers on this little adventure through the airport. We arrived at terminal 5, go up the escelator to the main floor and follow the crowd towards the gates. Then I spotted it. THE DEPARTURE BOARD. And there was my flight...AND there was the departure terminal... TERMINAL 1!!! Ugh. So back down to the bus I went. Still having seen no ticket agent for British Airways I made my way back over to terminal 1. Which, by the way, is under construction. When they drop you off at the terminal back entrance, you have a long walk and and confusing signs, then hit the first of the security check points. Here this nice older gentleman wanted to check my ticket. I explained that I didn't have one. He advised me to go through security and then stop at the British Airway desk and get my ticket. YAY! Someone who knew what I needed to do!
Going through their security is pretty much the same as when you fly out of America. Everything off and on the table, liquids and electronics in their own basket. Not a big deal. Except for when you forget too pull your toothpaste out of your carry on. *insert rolling of the eyes and a sigh*
After security you walk right into the the "under construction" wing of the airport. It is DESERTED! There were ticket agent booths but not an agent in sight."Oh bother." *in my best Eeyore voice* So I went exploring. I looked all over the place for signs of BA agents. But nothing. I found a really cute "Royal Mail'' post box. A couple duty free stores and restaurants. Cleaning staff. But no agents. On top of all of that...They don't post what gate you should go to until an hour before the flight. So everyone is in a holding station until that time.
With nothing to do and  4 hours to fill I went to the bathroom and changed my clothes, grabbed some yummy looking deli food from Pret Market and sat down to read. When I had about ten minutes before my gate was to be revealed I went to stand under the screen and wait for the information.
BAM! There it was (5 minutes late, I might add)! We were to head to gate 19. As the weary travelers herded down the terminal to gate 19 I was in the lead... well okay there were like 10 people ahead of me.
We all get to the gate and they start checking us in, reviewing passport and ticket, and making us sit in a new holding until they can check us one more time and push us onto the plane. It is my turn and I let the lady know that I don't have a ticket and that I was told it needed to be printed by the agent. She told me she didn't have time to do it, there was only on ticket checker working, and that I needed to sit and wait. AND WAIT. AND WAIT!!!
After everyone... except for the 2 people that came in late, where checked and boarding almost finished, I was helped. She called down to the luggage counter and then said something about me not checking in. HELLO!!! I DIDN'T HAVE A TICKET!!! And WHY? BECAUSE NO ONE WAS DOING THERE JOB!! The agent then couldn't get the ticket printer to work. *shaking my head* So I had to sit down again. Because she didn't have time to hand write me a ticket, there was another problem child that needed to be taken care of. *note the sarcasm* After everyone was boarded, she finally had time to HAND write my ticket so I could get on the plan. By this time I was frustrated, running on only 2 hours of sleep and I was freezing.
I walk down the plank and onto the plane, put my carry on into the over head bins. Walk back to my seat (a row of three chairs and there are only two of us to occupy said chairs). I take my seat, pull out my pillow, throw on the blanket, and close my eyes. Then the dreaded announcement....
"I am sorry to inform you but we are going to be delayed by 45 minutes on the tarmac. Sit back and relax, we will take off when we are given the clearance...." So that is what I did. I sat back and relaxed and fell asleep. Only to wake as the drink cart was passing and we were in the air. No first drinks for me. Luckily I had some water left in my water bottle.



I do have to say that flying over Greece at sunset was beautiful.

And British Airways (as does Delta) really know how to feed a person. Their dinner was really yummy.

Horrific Experience in London...

I had originally wrote this post in anger but I am so glad that my phone froze and wouldn't let me post it. :)

It is so sad to say that I had a bad experience at Heathrow Airport in London because I had such hi hopes for this city. I have dreamed of flying into to London all my life. I have always wanted to visit. I was sad that I was flying there by myself because I had already promised to "A" that we would fly there together. And here it was that I was being diverted.
After a long flight from Denver to Atlanta I find that my 10:04 flight to Paris had been canceled (it was never made it to the boards). And that the next available flights to Paris would make me miss my 2:40 trip to Amman. So I had no choice.
Upon arrival in Atlanta and noticing that there was a mix up on my flights, I headed to customer service where I found a long line of travelers that were upset about the cancellation of the Paris flight. When it was my turn to talk to an agent there was a huge line behind me. I had already switched out my slip on shoes due to all the running I was doing left blisters on the back of both of my heels, and I added light capri pants under my skirt because I was cold. I had even pulled my hair up in a bun. Ugh. I looked amazing. :) Anyways, the ticket agent started talking to me and and told me that they were reverting me to Heathrow and that they were sending the word down to luggage handling to send my bags to London.
After she handed me back my itinerary and my ticket for the next flight, I was told that I would need to find a British Airways Agent when I touched down in Heathrow to get my next ticket. Then I was told that my flight was boarding and that I needed to get to the gate but not to hurry because I would get on this flight. EXCUSE ME! NOT TO HURRY BUT THEY WERE BOARDING! And I had to take the train back to the previous terminal. What the heck. Seriously.
Well I hurried as fast as I could to get to the terminal to board. When I got there they were boarding Zone 2 (my zone), I had just made it. I boarding the plan, looking a little worse for wear and took my seat. Luckily Delta took care of me and I got my row (2 seats) all to myself. So I relaxed and had a great flight. [Well, great except for the terrible turbulence coming into Heathrow at that time of day.] So aside from that the trip was great.
It wasn't until I touched down that the horror ensued.

To be continued....

Exchanging money... the bad way

To all those traveling abroad or getting ready too. When exchanging money either get it done in the US or in your destination country.

DO NOT try to exchange money in one country for a different country.

Example: USD in England for JOD. They have to use the exchange rate for GBP then convert that to JOD. I lost about 35 or more USD doing it this way. :(

Half way there...

It has been a little rough this half of the journey. But I am trying to "roll with the punches", "go with the flow". It's not like I can do anything to change what is happening so this is my only choice.
Here's the scoop:
Starting the night before the flight my carrier started sending me texts and emails about my flights changing and cancelations and rebookings. "M" told me that they would take care of everything at the airport and I would get there no matter so I stopped worrying.
Then I got to the airport and after checking in, was told that I needed to check in with the gate agent. The gate agent printed me my itinerary and I thought nothing of it.
Upon arriving in Atlanta I found out that there was no 10:05pm flight to Paris. There never was a flight. The flight number I was given was for a 12:40am flight which meant I would then miss my connection to my final destination.  Ugh.
So I stood in line for 45 minutes waiting to figure things out then was rebooked on a different carrier, different route. Now onto London I go. Then I will have a layover and head to my final destination of Jordan. Only issue is that I won't be coming in until almost midnight . That is 3 hours later then originally scheduled to arrive. Boooooo.
On the upside: I got the seats to myself so I got to relax, although no sleep was had. *sad face*

Off I go on my adventure

So today I head on my Jordan 2.0 trip. 6 weeks in Jordan with my love. It should be exciting. It should be peaceful. 
Heading to the airport now.
Traffic in Denver is backed up like crazy. But it's ok.
"A" picked me up early so that we could grab a bite to eat so we have time. She's not worried that this almost stand still traffic will make us late.
I am such a worrier. "Blah".
I will keep posting on the blog while I am gone. Keep checking back for updates.

New Book Update

Well... "This Girls Journey" is coming along very nicely. I have been able to write almost everyday these past couple weeks. I am proud to say that I am at 23k words!!! How exciting is that!?
My goal is to finish this book by September and have it sent out to Beta Readers. Then to have it edited and put up on Amazon by end of October.

I am finding that this story is just writing itself in areas. Some I am struggling emotionally with but it is supposed to be that way. I want these characters to be true to themselves and to draw on the emotions of the reader. I hope that it is working out that way. I am becoming very attached to the main character and her life story. The struggles that she goes through and the feelings that she is dealing with are relatable. It's hard not to get invested in her life.

If you haven't heard about this project, go back to my last blog post. :) 

I hope to post more on what I am working on soon.
TaTa for now.

Blog Tour: Meet My Character

This week I have been invited to take part in a blog tour called Meet My Character, where you get to find out more about the main character in my latest book!

Thank you to Laura J. Whiskens for the invitation to take part! Laura is the author of The Hunter Collection, Danny Boy and her newest release Telling Tales. I read Danny Boy a couple months ago and couldn't put it down. What a lovely story of friendship and love. You can check out her work on Amazon by clicking here. 

For this blog tour I have been asked to answer several questions about a character in my current work in progress, which I am hoping will be the book - This girls Journey. 

This Girls Journey 

What is the name of your character? Is he/she a fictional or a historic person?

The main character of my current work is Thea. She is fictional but I added in traits of those I admire around me. 

When and where is the story set?

The story starts in a little town in Michigan and then heads south to Indiana. I am pretty sure that it will end up back in Michigan, I haven't decided on that yet.  It is set in modern times, no year is really given but it will span the course of 15 years. 

What should we know about your character?
Thea is a surivor. She is headstrong. She has a lot of inner turmoil going on. She is easy to love but always seems to get her heart broken. 

What is the main conflict? I.e. what 'messes' up her life?
In the beginning you find out that she learns that she is pregnant and at the age of 16. Her boyfriend doesn't want to be tied down to a baby so he decides they will "take care of it". Thea coming from a very religious family has a hard time with this. But after it is done and her family finds out what she had just done they disown her. She now has to figure out life on her own and try to forgive herself in the mean time. 

What is the personal goal of the character?
Thea's personal goal is to find love, even if she is the one loving herself. She really needs to forgive herself and let go of her past. 

Is there a working title for this novel, and can we read more about it?
"This Girls Journey" is the working title. I am hoping to post often on the blog some short snippets. I am hoping to have this finished and ready to go by the end of the year.

About This Girls Journey...

Thea Michaels had always been the good girl. The girl who always respected her parents, went to Church every Sunday and Wednesday, got straight A's and never did anything out of character. That is until one night when she loses her virginity to her boyfriend at a friends party and becomes pregnant at the age of 16. Her life will be flipped upside down when she is told to get an abortion by her boyfriend and then her religious family finds out. 

Follow Thea through many heart breaking decisions and pain as she sets out on this new journey in life. From abortion to heartache to abusive relationships to love. It is the journey that many hope they don't have to face but some will.

Excerpt from This Girls Journey (unedited)

Feeling a little claustrophobic, she threw open the window next to her, as she sat on the lid of the toilet waiting. Five minutes seemed to take forever to determine her fate. She twisted her blond locks in between her fingers and prayed. She couldn’t believe her eyes as she sat and watched the line on the stick go from one to two.

Positive…

How could she be pregnant? She had only slipped up once. Her father was going to kill her. Growing up in the Bible belt her family, most of all her father, were strong believers in abstaining until marriage. She had that grilled into her head from the time she was old enough to understand the difference between male and female, boy and girl, mommy and daddy. She started to panic. She needed to get out of there and fast. The walls of the salmon colored bathroom felt like they were closing in on her. The hand stitched scripture above the door stated, “As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord”. She started to hyperventilate.

Not only was her father going to kill her but so was God. How could she let this happen? She knew better. Of course she did! And it was just once with Phil. She got down on her knees and started to throw up into the bowl. Was it morning sickness or the nerves? She couldn’t tell but she knew that if she wasn’t careful her mother would hear and she would be found out.

After what seemed like an hour of heaving up her breakfast, she pulled her head back, wiped the residue off of her lips with a tissue and flushed the toilet. She was going to be late for school if she didn’t wash up really quick and head out the door. She pushed her disheveled hair back away from her face and looked in the mirror. Her mascara and eyeliner were badly smudged from the crying and puking that she now resembled the raccoon that her dad always said he was going to skin for getting into the garbage can.

She grabbed the washcloth from the shelf in the closet and wet it down. She began wiping at her face and neck, the cool cloth felt good against her feverish brow. She knew that it was only do to the panic she was feeling. She wet the cloth down again and placed it on her cheeks praying under her breath as she did.

“God, if you will still listen to me” gulp “please oh please oh please let this be wrong.”

But she knew it wasn’t wrong. She was usually on time but she had skipped her period for the last two months. She picked up the stick off of the counter and placed it back into the box. She grabbed her toothbrush, put some paste on it, and then began vigorously scrubbing away at her teeth and tongue. She hated the bad taste in her mouth and wanted to get rid of it.

Knock. Knock.

“Thea! You are going to be late for school!” Her mother yelled through the door.

Thea spit the bubbly mixture out of her mouth and looked in the mirror again.

Knock. Knock.

“Thea! Did you hear me?!!”

Thea rolled her eyes and took one last look in the mirror. She would be fine. She needed to talk to Phil, he would tell her what she should do.

Knock.Knock.

Thea swung open the door and peered out at her mother.

“I am almost ready mom. I am just finishing. I will be down in 10 minutes” She stated. She pushed the strand of hair that had slipped into her vision out of the way.

“Okay, dear. Just remember that you have chores to do when you get home, so do not be late. We don’t want to make your father upset by leaving things undone.” Thea shook her head yes, pulled back into the bathroom and shut the door behind her. She was glad that her mother hadn’t insisted on coming in to grab her wet towels like she usually did. She just went on her merry way down to start cleaning the kitchen, or whatever room she thought was dirty at the time. Thea grabbed the box with the test inside and slipped back out of the bathroom and into her room at the end of the hall. She really did need to hurry now or she would be late for Homeroom with the warden, Ms. Thorton.

She went into her closet and pulled out her uniform. Every other day she would gripe and complain about wearing a uniform but not today. She was so happy that she didn’t have to pick anything out to wear; it would have taken her forever. She pulled her long blond hair up into a messy ponytail, grabbed her backpack off of the chair by her desk and then headed downstairs.

As she was walking by the dining room her mother peeked her head out. "Have a nice day at school Thea." Then she was gone again...

Next Week's Blog Tour...

Ryan Gladney is is the author of Nine Lives of Adam Blake, a contemporary novel set in Minnesota that combines elements of speculative fiction, urban fantasy, philosophical fiction, coming-of-age, and literary fiction. It was released in February 2014.

Ryan was born in St. Louis, and has lived in Boston, Orange Country, Ann Arbor, Los Angeles, and Minnesota. He attended college at the University of Michigan. When not writing (or working), Ryan spends most of his time with his wife, son, and cats. He’s an active book-clubber, kickballer, bike-rider, brunch-eater, and live music aficionado. He lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Check out his work on Amazon by clicking here. 

 

Heather Heffner is the author of The Tribe of Ishmael. This story is the first book in the dark epic Afterlife Chronicles. Ishmael Abajian has always been a play-by-the-rules kind of guy, so when he stows aboard a train to escape from dangerous pursuers, he figures his guardian angel will overlook it. Check out the book to see how it goes.

 

 

Heather is originally from Washington State. Growing up, her well-meaning parents dragged her and her brother along on countless hikes. To amuse themselves, they made up stories. Eventually Heather started putting those stories down on paper, and things just went from there. Heather is also the author of the urban fantasy books: Changeling Sisters Series and the dark fantasy Afterlife Chronicles.

 Check them out on Amazon by clicking here.