Snowy Delay

It is 10 minutes to midnight on January 18th. And though I should be home snuggled in my bed, I am not. I am stuck at Kennedy Airport in New York City. Why? Because of snow. I waited patiently all day because Delta had moved my flight from 8:45am to 4pm to 6:55pm. At quarter to 7 we boarded the plane and I sat next to a girl name Heather who had mentioned she was interested in volunteering in South Africa (after I mentioned where my travel origin was) through a nonprofit, CCS. How ironic! I showed her some pictures I had with me and talked about my trip and she sounded very interested in volunteering through CCS in either Cape Town or somewhere in South America. While we waited at the gate we chatted and then I took a nap, figuring the takeoff would wake me. I woke an hour later, still on the ground in New York City. It was quarter to 9. The plane originally had an issue with a crack in the door and then once that was repaired it was put in the queue to takeoff. We went to have the plane deiced while I was asleep and we sat again for a long while on the tarmac. Then we pulled up to a gate and were told after 3 hours sitting on the plane the flight was canceled. The FAA grounded flights due to the snowy conditions. It's for my own safety, and I appreciate that, but I am frustrated because I just want to go home right now. Delta irritated me enough times today, most issues were satisfied with the Crown Room lounge, but since it is closed at night (the entire airport is) I must lay here in the terminal and try to see what little bit of sleep I can get. Second night in a row that I'm sleeping whist in transit and not in a bed. Sigh. Nothing I can do but wait until the flight in the morning. I've been rerouted onto a flight in the morning at 7:29 and will arrive in Detroit around 10am. I don't even have my checked luggage with me to get anything to change into. Thankfully I did put clean clothes in my carry-on for today so I am wearing semi-clean clothes. I am lucky that I've been rerouted onto a flight from JFK and not having to pay for a transfer to LaGuardia like other people on my flight have to do.

I find it quite ironic, both times I traveled abroad beyond a cruise I have been involuntarily rerouted on the return flight. When I returned from Australia, a flight carrying 50 passengers was late from Brisbane to Auckland and we waited, which had me miss my connecting flight. This time the weather is too snowy and I have to wait overnight in the airport. At least when I waited overnight in Chicago I stayed a few hours in the Hilton where I could shower and I had all my checked luggage with me.

I'm going to try to sleep a bit, my flight is at 729 and I figure Monday morning the airport will be a zoo so I might sleep while I can. Night.