Problems In Paradise

To: Travel Center
Subject: URGENT: Problem logging into MyIDTravel. I’m in Thailand and Need to get home.

 Karalee, LAX.

What do you do when there’s NO way to get home?

The previous was the pathetic and desperate email sent to my company’s travel center yesterday, when I found out my semi-constructed plan of what plane to fly on from where, crumbled when the website to book flights simply wouldn’t work.  Over, and over, and over again I tried to make the website load.  It said something about Lufthansa in the navigation bar???  What is that all about?  Well, I would love to be a blonde german beauty working on one of those airplanes, but let’s face it, I’m not currently blonde, and don’t speak German, and I simply can’t compete with their blues eyes and sweet smiles.

Anyway, I found the whole thought of being stuck in Thailand quite hilarious.  I mean, yeah… for everyone at my company the website wasn’t working, but I do believe I’m the only one that is localed in Southeast Asia at the moment, and of course something like this would happen to me, because this kind of stuff just does happen to me.  It’s not like I ever look for something to write about.  The universe just throws random and unexpected into my life, like hurricanes and the Turkish mafia to keep y’all reading.  (Not really sure if that is actually true, but it’s what I tell myself.

This whole, not having a way to get home was, in my mind, brilliant.  I was thinking, “How fantastic!”  The world wide web just gave me a free hall pass. A “dog ate my homework” excuse for missing work.

Captain:  “Where’s Karalee?  I thought she was working this trip?”

FA:  “Well, the flight booking system isn’t working.  It stopped working while she was in Thailand. So she’s just there.”

Captain:  “Didn’t that happen two months ago???”

Yep… that was my dreamland.  I envisioned this problem to be my golden ticket to Thailand beach paradise for an extended amount of time.  Management probably wouldn’t have had the same visions.  Along with the parents…

Dad? Mom?  You think you could send me some money???:)

(Unfortunately and) Fortunately, my airlines travel center is very responsive and incredibly helpful.  And my case of stranded-itis only lasted 32hours.  So, I’ll see you all in Los Angeles in a few days and not next year…

But, I’m still laughing about this.  Of all the places and times for an all important system to break.  It’s like when ATA flight attendant’s were stranded in destinations like Hawaii when their airline suddenly went bankrupt.  

Crazy stuff happens in the airline industry.

My life is just crazy.

Cat Ba Island, Vietnam. (I look good with 3 chins right?  That’s my, “I scared the hell out of my dad when I started driving the scooter and I’m loving it face.”)

Unexpected.

Chicken from a market in Vietnam

And exciting.  

Bangkok

Where will I be next?  I don’t even know the answer to that.

But, I’m in Chiang Mai right now.  I rented a bicycle from the guesthouse where I am staying for 80 BHT (just under $3USD) for the day.   Have to go to the Thai Airways office and see if I can change my return flight to Bangkok from Sunday morning till Tuesday.  Dad and I parted ways yesterday, and he flew home on Delta this morning.