Jan 14 - The Joys of International Travel

Good evening friends!

My travel from Berlin to Derby will provide you with your daily bought of amusement, but I don't have pictures - so you will just have to pretend. And I only have 30 minutes to type it because that is the "free" portion of in room internet!

I noticed this morning that the admin at work only left a 45 minute gap between flight one and flight two. I didn't think much of it...until my Berlin flight took off 30 minutes late! I had forgotten how HUGE of an airport Frankfurt was...and I hauled butt through there in order to make flight #2. Thank God there was no person in the middle seat of our 3 seats because I had sweat dripping down my neck and back!

Then I arrive in Birmingham and had a lovely car driver to Derby (really, he was super sweet). I get to the hotel, and to my room, to start unpacking. I realize that I have forgotten my power cord adapter for my tablet and my computer. UGH. Then I realize that I couldn't have used my adaptor anyways because the UK and Germany have different plugs. OMG! THEN I notice that this room DOESN'T HAVE A HAIR DRYER. So, not only can I not use my curling iron because I don't have an adaptor, I can't even dry my hair? Oh, how awesome I was going to look for all my meetings tomorrow! As you can imagine - I was about 2.5 seconds from full breakdown mode and wanting to take the first flight from Birmingham back to the U.S. (I was even willing to go through dreadful Newark at this point!).

BUT...I saved myself from the meltdown and called the desk. Well, they couldn't help me, but they were looking for chargers for me. I decided to go down there and see where the closest store was (but everything closes super early in Derby, just like Berlin). I was telling my story to the two young kids at the reception desk, and when I described what I had intended to bring - the wonderful young man down there had TWO in the drawer...so he gave me one to use during my stay!! And one better than that - they have 3-4 extra hair dryers down there too!!!

So, I will not scare everyone I work with tomorrow, and I won't be booking an immediate multi-thousand dollar flight to get my spoiled butt back to the U.S. Tragedy averted. :)

I hope this finds everyone well.
Good-night and God-bless,
from Derby, England