In the winter month of March, in the year 2009; I went with a group of 4 other friends to Banff on a Birthday Ski Trip!
Woo Hoo!
This was my first time visiting the Canadian Rockies and witnessing in person just how magnificent they really are - pictures just cannot do this place any justice - but it was all of the pictures that I had seen that drummed up my desire to go and visit!
Since we all lead rather different lifestyles, we had all agreed to fly separately and meet in Canada.
Some of the gang went for a week and a few of us only carved out 5 days for this trip. I was one of those people!
While several entertaining stories happened on this particular voyage (which I will share with you at a later time)... I mean what could you expect with all of the various personalities, there was no doubt in the world that there was going to be some (lots of) drama along the way!
On with this story...I had booked my flights, leaving on Tuesday and wanting to return on Sunday (like everyone else)...BUT the airfare was ridiculous to do so, and there was a great deal on the ticket from Tuesday to Tuesday, and I figured that I would just go to the airport on Sunday (along with everyone else) and just get on stand-by for a Sunday flight. Right? Wrong!
I arrived at the Calgary airport on Sunday late in the afternoon, walked up to the ticket counter and continued on with my plan...
All I received were some very dumbfounded looks - I suppose the stand-by for international flights were unheard of...at least not out of Canada!
Ugh, you've got to be kidding me?!
Besides even if I wanted to upgrade and pay the difference, all of the flights were totally full and I was STUCK!
I was told to come back and check back first thing tomorrow morning!
...Now what...no car, no place to stay, no friends...
Well, being that I was solo - along with a ton of luggage - Hey...I never said that I packed light!
I figured that I would just tough it out and stay at the airport overnight.
I had plenty of things to entertain myself with (movies, books, magazines, etc..)
Woo Hoo!
This was my first time visiting the Canadian Rockies and witnessing in person just how magnificent they really are - pictures just cannot do this place any justice - but it was all of the pictures that I had seen that drummed up my desire to go and visit!
Since we all lead rather different lifestyles, we had all agreed to fly separately and meet in Canada.
Some of the gang went for a week and a few of us only carved out 5 days for this trip. I was one of those people!
While several entertaining stories happened on this particular voyage (which I will share with you at a later time)... I mean what could you expect with all of the various personalities, there was no doubt in the world that there was going to be some (lots of) drama along the way!
On with this story...I had booked my flights, leaving on Tuesday and wanting to return on Sunday (like everyone else)...BUT the airfare was ridiculous to do so, and there was a great deal on the ticket from Tuesday to Tuesday, and I figured that I would just go to the airport on Sunday (along with everyone else) and just get on stand-by for a Sunday flight. Right? Wrong!
I arrived at the Calgary airport on Sunday late in the afternoon, walked up to the ticket counter and continued on with my plan...
All I received were some very dumbfounded looks - I suppose the stand-by for international flights were unheard of...at least not out of Canada!
Ugh, you've got to be kidding me?!
Besides even if I wanted to upgrade and pay the difference, all of the flights were totally full and I was STUCK!
I was told to come back and check back first thing tomorrow morning!
...Now what...no car, no place to stay, no friends...
Well, being that I was solo - along with a ton of luggage - Hey...I never said that I packed light!
I figured that I would just tough it out and stay at the airport overnight.
I had plenty of things to entertain myself with (movies, books, magazines, etc..)
So I found a nice little spot to relax in and stayed there until morning. First thing in the morning, the hustle and bustle of the airport had come alive (it was so quiet the night before), and I made my way to the check in counter in hopes of getting on a flight back to LAX. And that was to no avail, as every flight was over booked. Again I must wait and continue to check to see the availability...
So I did.
Over, and over, and over again!
I also shopped and browsed the shopping area of this airport, as well as had done laps several times over.
The airport employees were even getting to know me!
Quite honestly, Calgary is a very nice airport - very mall like, and since I luv shopping, that definitely worked for me!
But then nightfall had come once again and the bustling airport had become a quiet place that I was again going to be stuck at - at least this time it was for good reason (because the flight that I actually had a confirmed seat on was first thing in the morning).
I was so relieved to finally be boarding my flight and heading back to LAX! But then can you guess what happened once I landed???
No one came to pick me up! Not a single soul!
I just spent nearly 40 hours at the Calgary airport and I'm finally back, yet everyone was at home and at least an hour away when I landed.
I was soooooo fed up!
I decided I would take a shuttle to the train and then train it back to Anaheim, there at least Liz came to my rescue and picked me up for the remainder of the way back home!
Lesson learned - do not go to Canada expecting to do STAND-BY!!!
PS - I am still locating all of the pictures from this fun time!
So I did.
Over, and over, and over again!
I also shopped and browsed the shopping area of this airport, as well as had done laps several times over.
The airport employees were even getting to know me!
Quite honestly, Calgary is a very nice airport - very mall like, and since I luv shopping, that definitely worked for me!
But then nightfall had come once again and the bustling airport had become a quiet place that I was again going to be stuck at - at least this time it was for good reason (because the flight that I actually had a confirmed seat on was first thing in the morning).
I was so relieved to finally be boarding my flight and heading back to LAX! But then can you guess what happened once I landed???
No one came to pick me up! Not a single soul!
I just spent nearly 40 hours at the Calgary airport and I'm finally back, yet everyone was at home and at least an hour away when I landed.
I was soooooo fed up!
I decided I would take a shuttle to the train and then train it back to Anaheim, there at least Liz came to my rescue and picked me up for the remainder of the way back home!
Lesson learned - do not go to Canada expecting to do STAND-BY!!!
PS - I am still locating all of the pictures from this fun time!