by Doreen Martel

Created on: July 27, 2010

I shall share a tale of my very first experience with airline travel. I had never flown (and was terrified of doing so).  I had a great new business opportunity to hook up with a mortgage company and take on the role of being their Massachusetts representative (this is of course a prior life). I was very excited about the opportunity and the additional business and dollars that it could bring into my business at the time (the height of mortgage refinance era).  The only catch was that I had to go to Kansas City, Kansas for training.  While I dreaded the trip I decided (business decision) that it would be foolhardy to bypass this particular opportunity.

I headed to Logan Airport (Boston) to begin said adventure. The weather was horrific with freezing rain intermittently but, I was determined to make the most of it.  I boarded the plane and decided that halfway down the aisle in a window seat was the best place for me to be (I couldn't have been more wrong) and settled my terrified self into the window seat.

Imagine my horror when I looked out the window and saw the little flaps on the wings moving?   I was convinced that the plane was going down and I'd never make it to Kansas City. Little did I realize at the time that this was normal, in fact, I did not realize that little nugget of information until I arrived back in Boston.   Minor detail I was told when I asked how come my partner had not warned me.

The plane had a two hour layover in Atlanta, Georgia did you know GA was on the way to KS? - as lacking as my geography is I knew that this did not sound right. However, in Atlanta I had my wits about me enough to get off the plane, have something to eat and take another pair of aspirin. Remember, I was firmly convinced I'd self destruct before we arrived in KS.

The last leg of the trip was bearable (made so by the 3 gin and tonics I had).  The plane touched down at 10:10 pm CST and I made my way to luggage claim, claimed my luggage and boldy headed for the great outdoors.   I was horrified to see the sign that said "Welcome to Kansas City, Missouri".

I was convinced beyond any shadow of a doubt that when I reboarded the plane in Atlanta, GA that I had somehow managed to board the wrong plane.  I contacted my partner at home (now it is after 2am EDT) and I was sobbing and telling him how I managed to get on the wrong plane, I was in the wrong state and didn't know what I was going to do.

After he got his laughter under control he suggested I venture outdoors and look at the "big bridge". I found said bridge and he informed me that Kansas City, Kansas was immediately across it.  Clearly my geography lessons went for naught. I’ve flown many times since this adventure, but none of them are nearly as memorable as my first flight.

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