Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Greetings from Kennedy International Airport

I have a few moments and a free internet connection, so I thought I'd check in quickly.

Yesterday I felt pretty on top of things and fairly leisurely about packing and getting loose ends tied up...until my friend Kristin showed up at 8:20 p.m. to take me to the airport. Then I suddenly felt like I had a million things left to do. Even with my last minute panic, we arrived at the airport with more than two hours to spare before my midnight flight to NY. Thank you, Kristin, you're a lifesaver!

I had been so stoked to get a one-way ticket from SFO to Santo Domingo for $239 including taxes. The price was right and I have no idea when I'll be returning. Luckily, I arrived early to the airport because that's when I found out I had to have a return ticket in order to board the plane. I explained to the clerk about the fiance visa and how we don't know when we'll be coming back. It didn't matter. I was still forced to buy a one-way ticket home. I chose October something, even though I have no plan of using it, because it was the cheapest, about $275 with taxes. Just now I'm realizing I should have inquired about a flight to Miami or NY, which should have been cheaper. Either way, it'll cost $35 to cancel it and bank the credit. I'll probably use it to buy Daniel a round-trip ticket to Santo Domingo for the 1-year anniversary of Maya's death on January 16.

By February or March, Andre should have his interview with the US consulate in Santo Domingo and then we'll go to Haiti to leave his stuff and say goodbye to the family. It'll make more sense to fly directly from Port-au-Prince, so I'll probably use my American Airlines miles anyway, since JetBlue doesn't fly from Haiti.

The next problem was the overweight of my bags. Luckily it wasn't too much. One bag weighed 2 pounds over and the other 8. I was able to cram those items into my carry-on bags somehow.

The flight was great. I had three seats to myself, so I actually got some sleep and the flight went quickly. I called Andre to let him know I'm really coming, so he better prepare himself. I know him well enough, he'll be at the airport early, all showered and groomed and smiling. It's a sight I've had the pleasure of experiencing twice before. But I wouldn't mind if this were the last separation we have to endure. I'm getting tired of commuting to Santo Domingo.

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