So, it's 4:30am and I've been up for 1.5 hours now. I slept well my first night, with some help of Nyquil(I hate that stuff, but I had a stuff nose). I figured it time to catch everyone up.
I left Nashville around 7:50 but had to say goodbye to Tom's around 6:30am.
(i'm gonna miss this man)
I don't remember crying as we hugged for the last time, but the moment my passport and boarding pass were handed back to me I turned around and say his handsome face and tears began to fall out of my eyes. Gave him a quick wave and walked to the security line. Just as I had almost regained my composure, I hear, "Is that Jande Jackson behind me." It was Dan and Carol from Brentwood Baptist. The sight of them, unexpected familiar faces, cause the flood gates to open, again. I embraced Carol and cried for a second, but quickly re-composed myself. Time to fly.
I flew from Nashville to Denver, Denver to San Francisco(SFO), then from San Francisco to Seoul(INC). I chose this route so I could take the shortest flight I found from The States to Seoul possible. The flight from SFO to ICN was 11.25 hours. Other departure options were Chicago(13.5 hours) or Los Angeles(12.5) might have been easier because my trip would have been one less stop from Nashville. And I might have avoid the craziness I'm about to describe.
Since I stayed up all night before my trip, I was exhausted. I slept for most of the flight to Denver. Then I ran to Caribou Cafe to grab a smoothie and was on the flight be San Fran within an hour. No problem. It was a "Sweet and short stop."
(mango keylime smoothie)
In Denver we sat on the run way for 15-20 minutes. I was a little worried since I know I had only about an hour to catch my international flight in SFO. I was in and out during the flight from Denver to San Francisco, but we landed about 50 minutes before my flight was to take off. As I got off the plane I asked an employee of United to direct my to my gate as it was not printed on my ticket. She sent my to B38. I quickly got the feeling she was wrong, so I approached a second employee planning on her iPad. She barely looked at me when she replied, "That's not our airline." "You need to check the boards over there," she said as she pointed in a vague direction. Now I'm starting to get a little worried because I have on 45 minutes left.
I stopped and asked 4 other airport staff and personals before I got and real help and direction (35 minutes until take off for flight OZ 211). I was informed I wad to leave the section of the airport I am in and go through security. When I arrived at security, I told the women at the start I have less than 30 minutes before my flight takes off. She waves her hand, with much disdain in her body language, to the right where the previous gentleman walked. I repeated what I'd said, because I wasn't sure she understood I needed to get through the line quickly. She got upset and barked, "There is nothing I can do." I asked, how long would the wait be and she muttered something about not knowing but I need to get in line. Luckily the other woman told me the line to the right was a shorter line.
So, with 28 minutes left I got into line. The Gentleman in front of me seemed as anxious as I felt. The line had about 10 people ahead of me, so at first I was not too worried when the first 4 went through within a couple of minutes. Then the security personnel stopped check my line's passports and tickets and focused solely on the line to the right, which consisted mostly(80%) of airline employees and regular looking passengers(20%). Nervously The Gentleman and I watched nervously for what seemed like eternity, but was about 10 minutes, as our line only decrease by one person.
Finally he'd had enough and he flagged down a TSA employee henceforth known as MH(My Hero). As soon as The Gentleman told MH our flight leaves in less than 20 minutes, MH's eyes grew larger. You could see MH was formulating a plan rapidly as he looked over his shoulder scanning the surroundings. In that moment, The Gentleman turns to me and says, if he lets me thought, just act like you are with me. Then immediately The Gentleman and I were pushed to the front of another line and MH started spitting out orders to other TSA employees and other passengers. "Check their tickets next." "Please wait." "They are next."
As my ticket and passport were being checked, I got the idea to speed up the process. I started removing my boots and belt. By the time the TSA employee handed me my ticket, I have one boot off and have undone my belt. (I know. *eye roll* Don't wear a belt to travel, but I wore Tom's favorite outfit so that would be the last physical image he had of me. Now time for you to roll your eyes.) I got to the conveyer belt and removed my belt and other boot. Tossed them in a bin. Tossed my pillow and jacket in another. Took out Rachael's and my laptops and was through the scanner before I know it.
When I get to the other side MH is there helping gather my things. He calls me to the other side of the belt, the employee side, and I start to get everything back in its place as MH disappears. Boots on feet, check. Belt went in bag with laptops. Then all of a sudden another TSA employee starts to yell at me, "Ma'am you need to get from behind there. Ma'am you CANNOT be there." MH popped out of nowhere and says, "It's ok. It's ok. She can be there." Finally I draped my pillow and my jacket on my roller and look up to see MH motioning me towards him and a man in black with walkie.
As I get closer, MH said, "Yes, she is on an Asian flight that leave shortly." The man asked me for my boarding pass and passport and started walking very quickly. I handed them to him as I followed him. I struggled to keep up with with his brisk walk because I had to balance my roller with things on top of it and my VERY HEAVY backpack was only on my right shoulder. Then the men in black said, "Can you run?" at the same moment a voice on the intercom said, "Will passenger Jande-Phyl Jackson please report to gate A12 for final boarding to Seoul". I replied, "Yes [I can run]" as he took off with me in pursuit. Within 30 seconds my pillow and jacket were on the floor and the heavy backpack became too much to carry on one shoulder. I keep on eye on the man running so I don't loose him and I take a second to gather my things. Quickly I catch up with him and we ran for about 100 yards to the escalators. He kept running down the escalators, but all by baggage prevented me from doing so. When I made it to the bottom I squeezed past a giant pillar to see the man in black handing my passport and boarding passes to the Asiana employees at the desk. As I arrive at the gate they say, "You barely made it."
I got on the plane and took my seat. During the flight there served 2 hot meals(I choose American meal because I'd rather eat bad American airplane food than taint my view towards Korean food with airplane quality), one sandwich, one snack bag. I watched "42", "The Big Wedding", "Identity Thief" and started "Accepted." I also slept on and off. 11.25 hours later and in Seoul.
(steak meal was ok)
(hello Seoul)
I arrived at Incheon International Airport (Seoul's international airport) around 6pm on Saturday. After going through immigration I head to belt 18 to search for my bags. I waited for a bit but saw no sigh of my bags. Then suddenly I hear on the intercome, "Will Mister Jackson, from Asiana flight from San Francisco, please come to the desk between gate 18 & 19." At this point I knew I'd been waiting at baggage claim for nothing. I went to where the voice had instructed me and said, "Ms. Jackson." The nice gentleman informed me my bags were in San Francisco. Of course. So I had to FaceTime Eunice to see if I could use her number. After I gave them my info I walked out baggage claim to try and find Eunice and my van driver, in that order.
This was the first time I had a problem finding Eunice in a crowd because she just blended right in with all the other Koreans(that statement was meant for Eunice). Although I couldn't see her, I heard a sweet familiar voice come from the crown shout my name. My heart lit up with joy as we ran into each other's arm. After we embraced she and I walked back in front of the crowd to try and find my driver. I say my name on a sign with a nice looking older Korean woman and said with a huge smile on my face, "I am Jande Jackson." And that nice looking older Korean woman gave me a look of confusion. Then I pointed to the sign and just then this man pushed his way through the crowd from behind the woman and pointed to the sign and nodded. I nodded. We connected on the side and we walked Eunice and I out of the airport.
We got in the van and contacted Rachael. She was about an hour away from her flat, like us. As we drove, I quickly realized the mountains surrounding the city. I started to get more excited. Once we reached Nowon the driver was not sure exactly of the location of Rachael's building so he dropped us off close to it. Eunice and I walked around until we found it (couldn't have done it without Eun). We got the Rachael's apartment a few minutes before she arrived and that's that for now.
(at last)
Laters Ya'll,
miss Phyl
