I Wish I Was on Southwest

Hello everyone! Welcome to my second blog post. There are a couple of disclaimers I must make before posting. I have very limited internet access in Hoedspruit, South Africa, so my of my posts will be posted a few days after I have written them. I’ll try to be as current as I can. Also, I plan on uploading some video-blogs and pictures, so keep a look out for those as well.

6.26.12

After traveling for 31 hours, I am finally in Hoedspruit, South Africa. It has been an exhausting and frustrating day, but somehow, I got through it. Thank goodness, now I’m fed, comfortable, and have a cat sitting on my chest purring. I’m in my happy place. But before I tell you how AMAZING this place is, I have to tell you about my journey over here.

United Airlines is the devil. Not only do they falsely advertise, but they lost my luggage for the second time in a year. First let’s talk about their false advertising. My friend Tyler and I were sitting in the Dulles terminal awaiting our flight to New York City (JFK) from which we would fly to South Africa. We both had one carry on and one personal item. There was a sign immediately in front of us confirming that we had the correct amount of luggage with us. However, a grumpy United representative came onto the loudspeaker and said that we could only bring ONE item aboard the aircraft, and that they would have to check the other, because the aircraft was too small. I was pretty upset for two reasons. First, If United Airlines had properly planned ahead, they could have alerted customers when they bought their tickets that they could only bring one item on board. Clearly, United Airlines does not plan ahead. Second, United Airlines had previously lost my baggage during a family vacation to Yellowstone National Park. Thus, refused to trust them with my second precious bag that I had purposely carried with me due to its important contents: my Harvard sweatshirt, my Puppy (a stuffed animal I had since birth), and a goodbye present from my boyfriend Jack. All three items were extremely important to me and I refused to let them out of my sight.

So, when the non-English-speaking United Airlines representative approached me to tell me that I couldn’t bring both bags, I simply said, “No. That’s not happening.” He smiled and repeated himself, but I just waved him off and said, “NO.” I waltzed onto the plane with both bags even though the flight attendants protested. There was plenty of room for both of my bags.

You may be thinking that I was being belligerent, and I’ll admit that maybe I was. But sometimes, belligerent people are right. I later found out that my distrust of United Airlines was completely warranted, for on my next flight from New York to Johannesburg, United Airlines lost my two checked suitcases. Incompetent people!!

This is how it happened. My parents and I woke up around 4am to make my flight at Dulles international airport. It was bright and sunny outside, but JFK airport in New York decided that there was impending thunderclouds and that we could not leave. This delayed us for an hour. Normally, this would not be a big deal. I mean, an hour is just an hour. However, I had a connecting flight to Johannesburg, South Africa with a planned transfer time of only and hour and a half. By the time my flight from Dulles landed an hour late, I only had 25 minutes to get to my South African flight. There were about 7 of us (Tyler Wilklinson included) that were in this situation. A United representative met us at the gate and gave us the special rush treatment. We essentially ran to the other side of the terminal, went to the front of the line at security, and led us through fenced-off areas and secret doors to get us to our gate faster. We got to the plane 5 minutes before it was supposed to leave the gate. I asked the representative if our bags made it. She said yes.

False. After the grueling 14-hour flight (during which I couldn’t sleep a wink), our bags were nowhere to be seen. A frequent traveler to South Africa came up to Tyler and I and told us that we might as well say goodbye to anything valuable in our bags. “I know the system,” she said, “They will go through our bags and take out whatever they want. Don’t expect for everything to still be in there.” I was shocked.

“But why would they do that?” I asked.

“Because,” she said, “this is Africa.”

I stood there with Tyler, dumbfounded. I hadn’t slept for almost 24 hours, I was starving, and I had just been told that some of my belongings were going to be stolen. What pained me the most was that my mom had worked so hard finding every little specific thing I needed for this trip. I was just told that all of the toiletries, clothes, new hiking boots, camping equipment might be stolen. We packed very lightly for my 8-week semi-camping trip to South Africa, which means that I desperately need everything in my suitcase. At this point, I’m extremely worried. I’m distraught that I might not have everything I need. Hopefully I will know by tomorrow the fate of my bags.

Even though the 6-hour drive to Hoedspruit was colored by my worries and exhaustion, it was still a beautiful introduction to the wilderness of South Africa! The only two animals I’ve seen so far are a vervet monkey and a Chacma baboon, both of which ran in front of our car. I met the Burns family with whom I will be living for the next 6 weeks before I go camping for 2 weeks. This family is so wonderful and welcoming! The live on a big farm and have 30 horses, 5 cats, and 6 dogs! Those of you who know me know that with each additional cat, my happiness increases by a power of two. So, you could say that I am incredibly excited right now. I can’t wait to play with the cats and ride horses every day!

I also met Cassie, my fellow veterinary volunteer. Cassie is a second year-veterinary student at Murdoch University in Perth, Australia and she’s already told me many wonderful stories about working with Dr. Rogers. She is extremely nice and I think we’ll have a great time together. Luckily, she’s offered to lend me the things I need until my baggage arrives. Even though I don’t have close-toed shoes or the proper clothes that I need to go to work tomorrow, I’m very excited to meet Dr. Rogers tomorrow and begin my South African adventure!