First, that last post was from Cailin, not Kelsey, just under her name by accident. Anyway. Midnight, Sunday morning (Saturday night). Kelsey has a 1:30am train from St. Pancras Station, where our bags still are, to Luton airport for her 6am flight. After dinner, we decided to stay downtown by Charing Cross and Piccadilly Circus to see more sights and go out dancing because we didn't have a place to sleep anyway. We had a wonderful time, but then realized we needed to be back at St. Pancras. But wait! The clocks have fallen back an hour! We borrow someone's phone to check GOOGLE, which says that the official fallback time is 1:00am. So we have plenty of time! Kels' train doesn't leave for another 2 hours! Dance until 1:00am.
1:00am: Depart club, find a bus that will take us back to St. Pancras.
2:20: arrive St. Pancras. In our heads it's 1:20. Bus took 1,000,000 times longer than we expected, short on time. Better run!
2:23 Train has departed, sorry ma'am. The official fallback time is 2:00. No other trains or buses to Luton airport until 9:00.
2:28 An official tells us that there is a bus to Victoria Station. Here Kelsey can get a bus to Luton Airport and probably make it in time. There is no way she can miss the flight, all other tickets are hundreds of dollars, which neither of us have. We absolutely can not afford another ticket. This is the one option. Go to collect bags and get on that bus to Victoria Station.
2:30 Baggage Claim is closed until morning. Are you kidding me? We have no idea what to do. Seems pretty hopeless.
2:40 Resist crying. Go get food. Yell at guys for catcalling ("Unless you have a solution to my huge crisis right now, I really don't want to talk to you."). Try to find cash machines so Kels can borrow money for a bus ticket. Find 8 different ones, 8 are out of order. We have 12 pounds between us.
3:15 Wait for bus to Victoria Station with Kels. I will ship Blanky and hair straightner, stuck in the suitcase which is locked up in St. Pancras. Wait for 35min at the wrong busstop. It is freezing, our coats are in our suitcases, and because it's Halloween we are surrounded by Zombies and Butchers and Corpse Brides and Pirates, all bleeding and white and undead and drunk and singing and throwing up everywhere. We're not in the mood for this holiday at all.
3:50 Find the right bus stop and find tickets. Give all my money to Kels, hope Victoria to Luton is less than 12 pounds.
4:10 The N73 bus finally arrives! Kels now has 1hr 50min to catch a flight at an airport over an hour away. Say goodbye to Kels, still resisting the urge to burst into tears.
4:30 Sitting alone at McDonald's. Only 1.5 hours until I can collect the bags and get a coat! Decide I need my little metal Royal Guard for company. I can't find him anywhere, I've lost him in our frantic search for coins to buy a bus pass. Cry for the first time tonight.
5:00 Get kicked out of McDonald's. It closes at 4:00. Suddenly I remeber the time change, it is actually 4:00am, which means Kels might make her train after all! But I have another 2hours to wait in the cold.
4:05 Find 24hr McDonald's. Ahab the guard befriends me, tries to buy me Big & Tasty, tells me I can stay with him if I like and gives me his email address. Kelsey, where are you?! This guy is creepy. Fake a phonecall to get away from him. He yells "email me!" as I leave McDonald's.
4:35 St. Pancras station. Read with "The Joker" from Batman sleeping next to me. I'm so cold my teeth are chattering and my hands are purple.
6:00 Finally! I can get the bags. Run to the Baggage Claim, my heart sinks. It doesn't open until 7:00 on Sundays. I want to throw up. Cry #2. Four French kids in wool hats, mittens, scarves and coats complain about how cold it is. I'm wearing a cotton shirt and leggings.
7:10 Baggage opens late. Finally get my bag and Kels' suitcase, which is broken. The handle snapped off so I can't pull it along. Rig up an invention for rolling it behind me. Put on my sweater and jacket. Get the Underground to Liverpool St. Station, my train leaves in 2 hours.
7:25 "Attention Passengers, due to track maintenence the train terminates at Moorgate. Please Depart here and catch another train." Lug suitcases up 3 flights of stairs, over a platform, down another 3 flights, board the train to Liverpool St.
7:45 Arrive at Station! Go to collect pre-booked tickets from the ticket machine. Debit card not readable. Denied. Must find ticket window.
7:55 Ticket man is rude to me. I finally lose it and sob and sob and sob. I want Mama and Daddy. I look like a disaster and have been awake for 24 hours now. I've been waiting to get home for 6hours. Think about my Royal Guard and bawl even louder.
8:15 Pull myself together. Go to the bathroom (30 pence, please). Use lots and lots of cover-up, mascara and blush to bring me back to life. Use last 1.89 in change to buy a Triple Chocolate Muffin. Things are looking up. I may make it back yet!
9:02 Suitcase breaks all the way. No more handle. I look like Elaine in that Seinfield episode, carrying a suitcase in each hand like an ape. Board the train headed for Norwich.
9:39 Get off the train in Ingatestone, board a bus for Colchester.
10:29 Arrive at Colchester train station. Bathroom smells like propane gas and rotting flesh. Halloween special?
11:17 Depart Colchester on a train for Norwich.
12:22 Norwich! At last!
12:45 Catch the 35 bus back to campus.
1:05 Arrive at UEA. Start walking (like Elaine, with my bags) to the Village where I live. Realize I should start working out my upper body again, as I have to stop and take a breather a couple times.
1:31 Back in my room!!!!!!! Safe and sound! I'm so tired I'm nauseous. Just got word from Kelsey that she made her flight and arrived back home at 10:00 this morning. Am taking a shower and sleeping until tomorrow.
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