I was teeming with stress before I even packed my bags. There was little anticipation, just nerves. I wasn't worried about flying; I've done so many times and had just flown cross country the previous August. No, I can't pinpoint what had me so wound up, but I was, which didn't make for an auspicious start to a trip abroad.
So I started that first day of travel frustrated and stressed. I didn't like that, on a flight that connected three times, we didn't receive boarding passes for the second and third connections. I really didn't care for the fact that our seats would not even be assigned until shortly before boarding on the first flight. However, we made it to Montreal without a hitch. Thank God.
But, wait. We have to go through customs and check in, again, although we're connecting? This was the message I got from staff at Montreal although in retrospect I think we could have had a much smoother experience had we found Transfers. Instead, we waited in line at the Air France desk, time slipping before our flight to Paris was to leave. I was getting more and more stressed and when we reached the ticket counter, two things happened that made that wire snap inside of me: My sister and I would not be seated together on the international and longest flight because we checked in so late. What?! We checked in hours before our plane left Detroit. Second, we were not confirmed for the flight from Paris to Dublin. That did it. My eyes filled and I fell into a right sobbing fit. I manage to find my confirmation in my paperwork and pass it to a supervisor who moved us out of line while she checked on it. My sister was looking at me like I had grown horns and when everything was smoothed out and we finished checking in, the ticket lady pleaded with me in her very nice French accent not to cry anymore. She even let me carry on my luggage although it was slightly larger than permitted.
Then security. Okay, I'm good with the new security protocols at airports. Unfortunately, in Montreal they were essentially patting every other person down, even my sister, which took forever. In fact, a final call came over the PA for boarding our Paris flight just as we left security, and our gate was far away. Terrified, we ran until our hearts burst, pushing people out of our way, screaming that we were going to miss our plane, only to see a long line of people boarding and we were just fine, despite the fact that the announcement made it sound like the gate was closing.
Oh, that ash cloud? It delayed our flight to Dublin for six hours, but that's paltry compared to what people experienced in late April, so I won't complain more than this. We made it to Ireland. Yes!
Then we got the rental car.
Look, I wanted the flexibility of having my own transportation rather than relying on bus and train schedules to go anywhere significant. But, starting with a very good argument on the part of the service rep for purchasing the extra insurance, which doubled the cost, the experience of driving the rental car was a dark one indeed. First, I unlocked the door then opened it, only to have the car alarm go off and I didn't know how to stop it. An employee came over, hit a button on the key ring to shut it off and wordlessly showed me that locking and unlocking the door required only a touch of that button. Okay, I was embarrassed, but I would live. I settled behind the wheel, which is on the right, and felt fine with this unfamiliar set up. Oh, then I started forward and heard the gears grind. Terrified the car was about the expire then and there, I made it around the corner to the office where a rep indicated me to wait. I got out of the car and a light went off in my head. I got back in and saw that the emergency brake was on.
Well, hell.
So, we headed off to Dublin...
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