Bittersweet Weekend/Week
Coming home for something like this is never easy, but I've been determinded to see the positive in this experience, as much as possible. I fell short in my frustrations with security in the Tel Aviv airport and with Bahamasair on my return to Tel Aviv, but for the most part I am trying to stay calm.
I left Tel Aviv last week Wednesday. I was not prepared for the level of questioning and search that I went through. My roommate warned me security is intense but that was not what I was expecting. I was questioned from I walked into the airport until I boarded my flight. I walked up to the El Al line (Israeli Airline) and the security immediately started asking me questions. Where I live in Israel, why I don't have any luggage? Questions that are irrelevant, in my opinion. They took my passport for a while and I had to go looking for the lady, who then brings over a manager who asks more questions.... He finally lets me go and then I go to the counter to check-in. The lady at the counter looks at me all crazy and then calls someone on the phone and starts speaking Hebrew to them so I have no clue what was said. Finally, she lets me go after checking my passports again and visas. I guess something about me had me flagged because I got a super intense search from security before being able to board my flight.
I went to security (TSA equivalent) and literally short of making me take all of my clothes off in the airport they search everything I had on me. I was scanned twice and then my bags unpacked completely, and my computer taken away from me. They took my computer to some back room, out of my sight, and I have no clue what they may have done to it, then when the guy appears again he asks me to turn my computer on and open files to prove it works..... powering it on and seeing it start up apparently not enough! UGH! So this whole process has be irritated as hell, then to make matters worse after unpacking everything I had they didn't re-pack my bags, just left it all out on display and I had to re-pack my bags myself! I WAS FUCKING PISSED by this point!
I hadn't eaten yet, and I was planning to eat in the airport. As soon as I stop to a counter and order a latte and a croissant I hear the final boarding call for my flight. I had to sprint to the boarding gate, nearly missing my damn flight because of all that shit. But the security checks were far from over....
When I landed in London I got off the plane and transferred to another terminal to board my flight to Miami. Note during this whole time I never left the airport at all, but I had to go through security (TSA equivalent) AGAIN! Then after that check even though I already had a boarding pass I had to go to the airlines security and then another counter to get a boarding card again. After all of this I barely had time to grab food before I had to catch my next flight. I literally grabbed a sandwich and drink at Pret A Manger and ran to my next gate. At this gate my passport and boarding pass was checked again by THREE (3) people all within 5 feet of each other, ie all visible to the previous person. I am all for security and keeping everyone safe, but by this point I was just ready to scream.... 3 people all in visible sight of each other doing the SAME thing just seems so inefficient and redundant!
Oh but to make matters worse..... guess who got stuck on a plane for over 2 hours because our plane had mechanical issues?! YEP ME!!! We finally take off. On this flight I couldn't really sleep for some reason, so I was reading, but because it was a night flight, after cabin service they turn off the lights in the cabin, well guess what my individual light didn't work.... so I had to sit in darkness most of the night because though I wanted to read I had no light to read with and the flight attendent was like oh well I can't do anything I'll have to let them know when we get to Miami. American doesn't have individual TVs in coach so seen as I'd watched all the movies they were showing there wasn't much for me to do, but I couldn't really sleep. Thank goodness from my IPOD. I just sat and listened to music and tried to sleep as much as possible, though it didn't really work at all.
Anyway so we land in Miami 2 hours later than planned and because I had 12 hr layover in Miami I'd arranged for my cousin to pick me up and take me to Target to do some shopping so I can get somethings that I can't get in Tel Aviv or that are very expensive there..... well because we got in late, Target was closed! :( We went to a Wal-Mart.... and I dislike Wal-Mart very much. I was able to get most of the things I needed but some of the items are items I could only get at Target.... Oh well I got the majority of it.... so we went back to my cousins.... again I couldn't sleep so I tossed and turned until like 5am and woke him up to take me back to the airport.
Well my Miami flight was late too and by the time I actually landed in Nassau, my mom had already left the airport. I caught a cab to her office and picked up my car and then went home to take a shower and change. By the time I got to Nassau so much had happened I was just thankful to be home safely and to see my family.
I got to see my mummy and my grammy and give them both hugs! I got to get kisses from my pups and get some homecooked food. My mum and I went to the funeral home after I showered and changed to see my grandmother's body and that was an odd experience. I am not sure how to describe it. It was odd seeing her laying in a casket. I couldn't even cry, I was sort of numb standing there. Then I heard this woman in the foyer of the funeral home let out these gut-wretching screams and I looked at my mum. In that moment all I wanted to do was run, leave! I needed to get out of there, I knew if I stood there any longer listening to those screams I'd have a breakdown.
All this time I'd only cried once, I cried the day my grammy died after I found out, but other than that I'd not cried since. I was trying to be strong! Strong because I felt selfish in crying. My grandmother had been in pain and her health was completely deteriorating the last few months of her life. I was so grateful she was no longer suffering and that she was finally at peace and in a better place. Knowing this it felt wrong of me to cry and to miss her and to want her here.
I spent the remainder of Thursday and Friday running errands for my mum and I got my hair pressed and saw more family. Then on Friday night I went to a club opening with my aunt. The club opening was kinda whack... saw a few people I knew though. I also got the most backwards compliment I think I've ever heard. This guy I've known since a teenager, but not seen in years tells me, "You look great, don't change anything. I need to make you wife number 2 or 3!" Ummm.....SMH. What the heck kinda comment is that?! LOL
Anyway so it goes without saying that I'd not gotten much sleep up to now. Jet lag is very real! I woke up on Saturday morning at 4am to head to Andros, after going to bed after 1am. On the plane to Andros I watched the sunrise. This was my 1st trip to Andros in maybe 10 years, so the emotions hit me pretty hard then. It was a beautiful sunrise and as we got off the plane and drove to my grammy's house all of those feels I got as a teenager going to visit my grammy came back, except this time I was going to get to her house and she wasn't going to be there. As I walked around and saw where my grammy used to live the emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't help but cry. I still felt so guilty though. I wanted to see her, hear her voice, tell her I love her again, see her smile, but none of those things are ever going to happen again and the thought of that hurts so bad.
I was so somber on Saturday, it was the first time I allowed myself to be emotional about my grandmother's passing. I saw my dad and my siblings. I met one of my sisters for the first time, my uncles and cousins I'd never met. It was a long day and an emotional day, but it was a great service.
It was nice to see so many people came out to pay their last respects to my grandmother. She was a respected lady in her community and everyone knew who she was. My grandmother was a "Bush Medicine" expert as we'd say in the Bahamas, but I guess in layman's terms Herbal Medicine may be the equivalent. She owned a Motel in Andros, she farmed, and was a very sucessful lady in her life despite the fact that she never learned to read or write. She was so hard working. My grandmother left behind a great legacy for her children and grandchildren. I think she'd have been so happy to see us all together on Saturday celebrating her life.
I got back to Nassau and I was completely exhausted. I didn't do much Saturday night other than dinner. On Sunday I went to church with my little sister, played with my dogs, and just relaxed a bit until it was time to leave. Well my relaxing day got ruined and the return trip from hell begins.
All of my travel time going and coming have been hellish. Just one catastrophe after another. I am actually still in the MIA airport. I was meant to fly on Sunday from Nassau to Miami, from Miami to London, and from London to Tel Aviv. Well my flight from Nassau was delayed and so I missed all of my connections. I got to Miami as my flight was scheduled to leave. The airline put my up in a hotel for the night, but that's it. No food or info about re-booking. I went to the American Airlines counter myself after they gave me my hotel voucher to check when I'd be able to leave. Because European flights only leave in the evening I wasn't going to be able to leave again until Monday night. However the London flights were all full so they said I'd have to connect through Paris. Whatever I just wanted to get back as soon as possible. However Bahamasair was responsible for taking care of any fees etc associated with getting me back seen as their flight was late. So I had to go to their counter for rebooking yesterday. I got to the airport at 1:30pm my Paris flight was not meant to leave until 6:05pm.
Bahamasair took forever with the rebooking saying we're still working on it everytime I asked someone at their counter. I literally stood in their face for hours trying to get them to get this sorted out and yet again it was an epic fail. I missed my flight AGAIN! The agent decides at 5pm she is going to escort me to American to take care of what needs to be done to get my one the flight. Now we all know an hr before a flight is cutting it too close to get anyone on a flight and I literally had to drag the lady from the counter at that point to take me..... still missed it. They hadn't paid the fees and I had luggage to be checked and AA just said there was no way they could get me one the flight with bags at that hour it was just too late. So I spent another night in MIA in the airport.
I have been at this airport since yesterday. I have not left. I checked in super early and I am at my gate now over an hour early to make sure I make my flight. American Airlines filed bankruptcy earlier today as well, so I was paranoid about if they'd cancel my flight. I am hoping that 3rd time will be the charm and the rest of this journey will go smoothly.
After the ordeal I've been through to this point I hate to think of anything worse happening. I am hopefully the rest will go smoothly and I'll make it back to Tel Aviv. Minus the journey to and from Tel Aviv, my trip was good. I am happy I could be there with my family to lay my grammy to rest and I am happy and grateful I got to see my mum and my other grandmother and my dogs as well. Today I've been determined to be positive and so far things are working.
I am displeased with the airline that caused the delay, in the way they handled the situation and the fact that they've not completely taken care of all of my expenses while being stuck here these 2 days, but a friend reminded me this morning that things could be worse. I am safe and though it's a total inconvenience and the airline's response is unacceptable things will work out. So I'm keeping cool and hopeful that this holds true.
By the time I get back to Tel Aviv with delays and all I would have been gone a full week. This was not the original plan, but there's nothing I can do about it at this point. This has been one helluva journey, but I'm hopeful that it will be over soon and I will get back without anymore issues.
I left Tel Aviv last week Wednesday. I was not prepared for the level of questioning and search that I went through. My roommate warned me security is intense but that was not what I was expecting. I was questioned from I walked into the airport until I boarded my flight. I walked up to the El Al line (Israeli Airline) and the security immediately started asking me questions. Where I live in Israel, why I don't have any luggage? Questions that are irrelevant, in my opinion. They took my passport for a while and I had to go looking for the lady, who then brings over a manager who asks more questions.... He finally lets me go and then I go to the counter to check-in. The lady at the counter looks at me all crazy and then calls someone on the phone and starts speaking Hebrew to them so I have no clue what was said. Finally, she lets me go after checking my passports again and visas. I guess something about me had me flagged because I got a super intense search from security before being able to board my flight.
I went to security (TSA equivalent) and literally short of making me take all of my clothes off in the airport they search everything I had on me. I was scanned twice and then my bags unpacked completely, and my computer taken away from me. They took my computer to some back room, out of my sight, and I have no clue what they may have done to it, then when the guy appears again he asks me to turn my computer on and open files to prove it works..... powering it on and seeing it start up apparently not enough! UGH! So this whole process has be irritated as hell, then to make matters worse after unpacking everything I had they didn't re-pack my bags, just left it all out on display and I had to re-pack my bags myself! I WAS FUCKING PISSED by this point!
I hadn't eaten yet, and I was planning to eat in the airport. As soon as I stop to a counter and order a latte and a croissant I hear the final boarding call for my flight. I had to sprint to the boarding gate, nearly missing my damn flight because of all that shit. But the security checks were far from over....
When I landed in London I got off the plane and transferred to another terminal to board my flight to Miami. Note during this whole time I never left the airport at all, but I had to go through security (TSA equivalent) AGAIN! Then after that check even though I already had a boarding pass I had to go to the airlines security and then another counter to get a boarding card again. After all of this I barely had time to grab food before I had to catch my next flight. I literally grabbed a sandwich and drink at Pret A Manger and ran to my next gate. At this gate my passport and boarding pass was checked again by THREE (3) people all within 5 feet of each other, ie all visible to the previous person. I am all for security and keeping everyone safe, but by this point I was just ready to scream.... 3 people all in visible sight of each other doing the SAME thing just seems so inefficient and redundant!
Oh but to make matters worse..... guess who got stuck on a plane for over 2 hours because our plane had mechanical issues?! YEP ME!!! We finally take off. On this flight I couldn't really sleep for some reason, so I was reading, but because it was a night flight, after cabin service they turn off the lights in the cabin, well guess what my individual light didn't work.... so I had to sit in darkness most of the night because though I wanted to read I had no light to read with and the flight attendent was like oh well I can't do anything I'll have to let them know when we get to Miami. American doesn't have individual TVs in coach so seen as I'd watched all the movies they were showing there wasn't much for me to do, but I couldn't really sleep. Thank goodness from my IPOD. I just sat and listened to music and tried to sleep as much as possible, though it didn't really work at all.
Anyway so we land in Miami 2 hours later than planned and because I had 12 hr layover in Miami I'd arranged for my cousin to pick me up and take me to Target to do some shopping so I can get somethings that I can't get in Tel Aviv or that are very expensive there..... well because we got in late, Target was closed! :( We went to a Wal-Mart.... and I dislike Wal-Mart very much. I was able to get most of the things I needed but some of the items are items I could only get at Target.... Oh well I got the majority of it.... so we went back to my cousins.... again I couldn't sleep so I tossed and turned until like 5am and woke him up to take me back to the airport.
Well my Miami flight was late too and by the time I actually landed in Nassau, my mom had already left the airport. I caught a cab to her office and picked up my car and then went home to take a shower and change. By the time I got to Nassau so much had happened I was just thankful to be home safely and to see my family.
I got to see my mummy and my grammy and give them both hugs! I got to get kisses from my pups and get some homecooked food. My mum and I went to the funeral home after I showered and changed to see my grandmother's body and that was an odd experience. I am not sure how to describe it. It was odd seeing her laying in a casket. I couldn't even cry, I was sort of numb standing there. Then I heard this woman in the foyer of the funeral home let out these gut-wretching screams and I looked at my mum. In that moment all I wanted to do was run, leave! I needed to get out of there, I knew if I stood there any longer listening to those screams I'd have a breakdown.
All this time I'd only cried once, I cried the day my grammy died after I found out, but other than that I'd not cried since. I was trying to be strong! Strong because I felt selfish in crying. My grandmother had been in pain and her health was completely deteriorating the last few months of her life. I was so grateful she was no longer suffering and that she was finally at peace and in a better place. Knowing this it felt wrong of me to cry and to miss her and to want her here.
I spent the remainder of Thursday and Friday running errands for my mum and I got my hair pressed and saw more family. Then on Friday night I went to a club opening with my aunt. The club opening was kinda whack... saw a few people I knew though. I also got the most backwards compliment I think I've ever heard. This guy I've known since a teenager, but not seen in years tells me, "You look great, don't change anything. I need to make you wife number 2 or 3!" Ummm.....SMH. What the heck kinda comment is that?! LOL
Anyway so it goes without saying that I'd not gotten much sleep up to now. Jet lag is very real! I woke up on Saturday morning at 4am to head to Andros, after going to bed after 1am. On the plane to Andros I watched the sunrise. This was my 1st trip to Andros in maybe 10 years, so the emotions hit me pretty hard then. It was a beautiful sunrise and as we got off the plane and drove to my grammy's house all of those feels I got as a teenager going to visit my grammy came back, except this time I was going to get to her house and she wasn't going to be there. As I walked around and saw where my grammy used to live the emotions hit me like a ton of bricks. I couldn't help but cry. I still felt so guilty though. I wanted to see her, hear her voice, tell her I love her again, see her smile, but none of those things are ever going to happen again and the thought of that hurts so bad.
I was so somber on Saturday, it was the first time I allowed myself to be emotional about my grandmother's passing. I saw my dad and my siblings. I met one of my sisters for the first time, my uncles and cousins I'd never met. It was a long day and an emotional day, but it was a great service.
It was nice to see so many people came out to pay their last respects to my grandmother. She was a respected lady in her community and everyone knew who she was. My grandmother was a "Bush Medicine" expert as we'd say in the Bahamas, but I guess in layman's terms Herbal Medicine may be the equivalent. She owned a Motel in Andros, she farmed, and was a very sucessful lady in her life despite the fact that she never learned to read or write. She was so hard working. My grandmother left behind a great legacy for her children and grandchildren. I think she'd have been so happy to see us all together on Saturday celebrating her life.
I got back to Nassau and I was completely exhausted. I didn't do much Saturday night other than dinner. On Sunday I went to church with my little sister, played with my dogs, and just relaxed a bit until it was time to leave. Well my relaxing day got ruined and the return trip from hell begins.
All of my travel time going and coming have been hellish. Just one catastrophe after another. I am actually still in the MIA airport. I was meant to fly on Sunday from Nassau to Miami, from Miami to London, and from London to Tel Aviv. Well my flight from Nassau was delayed and so I missed all of my connections. I got to Miami as my flight was scheduled to leave. The airline put my up in a hotel for the night, but that's it. No food or info about re-booking. I went to the American Airlines counter myself after they gave me my hotel voucher to check when I'd be able to leave. Because European flights only leave in the evening I wasn't going to be able to leave again until Monday night. However the London flights were all full so they said I'd have to connect through Paris. Whatever I just wanted to get back as soon as possible. However Bahamasair was responsible for taking care of any fees etc associated with getting me back seen as their flight was late. So I had to go to their counter for rebooking yesterday. I got to the airport at 1:30pm my Paris flight was not meant to leave until 6:05pm.
Bahamasair took forever with the rebooking saying we're still working on it everytime I asked someone at their counter. I literally stood in their face for hours trying to get them to get this sorted out and yet again it was an epic fail. I missed my flight AGAIN! The agent decides at 5pm she is going to escort me to American to take care of what needs to be done to get my one the flight. Now we all know an hr before a flight is cutting it too close to get anyone on a flight and I literally had to drag the lady from the counter at that point to take me..... still missed it. They hadn't paid the fees and I had luggage to be checked and AA just said there was no way they could get me one the flight with bags at that hour it was just too late. So I spent another night in MIA in the airport.
I have been at this airport since yesterday. I have not left. I checked in super early and I am at my gate now over an hour early to make sure I make my flight. American Airlines filed bankruptcy earlier today as well, so I was paranoid about if they'd cancel my flight. I am hoping that 3rd time will be the charm and the rest of this journey will go smoothly.
After the ordeal I've been through to this point I hate to think of anything worse happening. I am hopefully the rest will go smoothly and I'll make it back to Tel Aviv. Minus the journey to and from Tel Aviv, my trip was good. I am happy I could be there with my family to lay my grammy to rest and I am happy and grateful I got to see my mum and my other grandmother and my dogs as well. Today I've been determined to be positive and so far things are working.
I am displeased with the airline that caused the delay, in the way they handled the situation and the fact that they've not completely taken care of all of my expenses while being stuck here these 2 days, but a friend reminded me this morning that things could be worse. I am safe and though it's a total inconvenience and the airline's response is unacceptable things will work out. So I'm keeping cool and hopeful that this holds true.
By the time I get back to Tel Aviv with delays and all I would have been gone a full week. This was not the original plan, but there's nothing I can do about it at this point. This has been one helluva journey, but I'm hopeful that it will be over soon and I will get back without anymore issues.
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