Getting back home...or the story of how much Seattle sucked this holiday season ('cept for Julia and Sledding)

After I finished exams, I went out with my classmates and got ready for my early-morning train Saturday morning.

Caught the AmTrak up from Durham to Washington DC. Whole trip takes about 7 hours and is only mitigated by the fact that there is a power outlet next to your seat. The only other ray of sunshine was the 10 year old black kid that sat next to me in Richmond and talked to me non-stop until I got off. Seriously, sweet kid who told ridiculous stories while traveling alone and on a massive sugar high. After I explained how calories work, I think I also blew his mind. After a quick teriyaki dinner at Union Station and a short cab ride, I collapsed in my hotel room and watched Gonzaga lose to UConn on a ridiculously clutch shot.

(Would've gone out with some friends but Petums was in PA for some reason and my law school buddy from the area was apparently in Atlantic City.)

Caught a super early shuttle the next morning and hopped on my flight at Reagan National. Was delayed an hour after we pulled back from the jetway because our de-icing machine broke (seriously...omen). As we're landing, I'm super afraid I'm going to miss my flight, particularly when we land and it's a blizzard AND we are stuck 20 minutes trying to get the jetway to pull up to the plane.

Of course, when I get off and realize that my flight isn't even listed on the board I should've clued in and realized I was not getting out. My flight was delayed three times and cancelled, but I got to hang out with some guys I hadn't seen since high school.

After my flight was cancelled, I called up my cousin who had just moved into the area to work for Microsoft. She saved my ass by picking me up and giving me a place to crash. Of course, this awesomeness was tempered by the fact that the airlines couldn't get me home until Dec. 24.

That night Julia and I go out and drink with a friend of hers from Bucknell, Matt, and his two Seattle friends, Alex and Keith. Alex went to Duke undergrad so we had tons to talk about. He's also doing TFA in LA, so we chatted about poor children, too.

After drinking at a local pub called The Attic (baller, highly recommended), we head over to "the hill" to see another of Matt's high school friends. When we get there we're told that we're going sledding. We head over about three blocks to find an entire street blocked off by about 200 very drunk individuals sledding downhill on ANYTHING that will slide (seen: sleds, skis, snowboard, trash can lids, rubbermaid laundry hampers, kiddy pools, street signs, cardboard, garbage bags...). Although my knees and elbows are still bruised, was a ton of fun until the cops showed up at 1:45ish and kicked us off the streets. (Also, a very Asian man got pissed when a bunch of us tried to help him with his stalled car.)

We get home and pass out, only to wake up to my phone and my mother telling me that I've got a seat on an 11:45 flight to Juneau. Run to the airport and skip the RIDICULOUS line (seriously, half mile long probably, filled the entire lower floor of the SeaTac airport) to check a bag as I'd left my bag at the airport the night before. Get on the flight, which is slightly delayed and spend an entertaining time with a ferry master who lives in Juneau.

When I get to Juneau I realize that my flight doesn't leave there for another 7 hours. I order a pizza from a local favorite and watch the Packers get a good lead before leaving for security (later find out that they choked it away). By the time I get inside the terminal again, I find out the plane is delayed again. As it keeps getting delayed, I realize I DO NOT WANT TO BE STUCK IN JUNEAU. When we finally get on the plane, they march us all back off because the attendants can't count! By the time we get back on, we're late and we arrive in Anchorage at midnight, almost three hours after we were supposed to arrive.

Overall, I spent 61 hours in transit in order to get home.

I don't even want to think about the return trip...