It is just about 10 p.m. in Hawaii, 3 a.m. in Chicago and I just got home.

The day started in Peoria, Illinois, wake up very early, workout, shower, breakfast, pack, airport. At the airport I had quite the shock…when I attempted to check in my third bag that I had already paid $150 for. Seriously?

I qualified for gold status on United within the last month. It was funny, PSM and I were talking and I said, why haven’t I promoted to gold by now, with all my flights to Hawaii this year and look at that! Well, with gold status comes two free bags, wahoo! I’ll take it! The bad part, that third bag isn’t a regular bag charge, it’s $150! Oh my! So, I paid it when I checked in for my flight yesterday. It would have been $300 to ship the two boxes, so there you go. Not everything ships to Hawaii via Amazon… even with a Prime account, go figure.

I looked at the gate agent like she had two heads and she knew my anger and frustration were not directed at her. She understood and worked with a supervisor and online with support, no dice. So out comes the credit card, $150. I could have driven to Chicago, checked in there and paid $150 once. Grrr

When I got to the gate I called the dedicated status United line. Oh no, that should not be happening says the second person I talked to because the dedicated baggage line didn’t know anything about baggage, hmmm… my heroine for the day, charge reversed!

Flight number one, 1035am flying time about 25 minutes in the air. I had about 4 hours until my next flight, United Club, sounds good. Plug in, grab some food and get a lot of work done.

Flight number two Chicago to San Francisco, 4.5 hours, 347pm, and what are the odds, someone who had been on my current project until last year, was sitting in the aisle seat across from me! We talked, caught up while people are boarding the plane, they noticed us talking and would try to stop before blocking us, it was funny.

We talked project, life on the road, travel, she’s going to Ireland in a few months, so of course I had lots to talk about! And like me, this is her first solo international trip. Such a treat!

Land in San Francisco, grab food, check the board, head to the gate, crickets… gate change, ugh. New gate, get in line, board eventually, flight number three, 5.5 hour flying time, get settled, try to watch what’s on the video screen but I don’t remember classical playing during the opening of Guardians of the Galaxy. Back to my phone, which I had downloaded a bunch of stuff.

So, it’s now just about 10pm, I started my journey to Hawaii at 845am leaving the hotel, 3am in Chicago, approximately 11 hours in the air, how many hours total travel time is that? That is way too much math for me!

But who cares, I’m home! For the week and I can’t wait to tell you what we’re doing for the week! Gotta get home and do laundry! Off we go!