NO LUGGAGE, NO HAY PROBLEMA?

I arrived in Madrid!

…but my luggage did not.

And that was only half of my issues on Sunday. Let’s recap shall we?

The morning started off at 7:48 AM. Giving me approximately 12 minutes until I needed to leave for the airport. My alarm failed to wake me up at the desired 6:30 AM I had initially prepared for.  So without showering, changing my clothes, or brushing my teeth, I hauled all of my belongings into my large suitcase with the light pink ribbon on the top.

I then ran downstairs to say goodbye to the people, and tiny humans, that had become my family over the last six months. Tears were shed saying goodbye to the littlest of them all, but there was no time to waste if I wanted to make my flight to Brussels, and then on to Madrid.

I arrived at the airport, said another discombobulated goodbye to Nicky, and the hangover kicked in.

And it was one of the worst hangovers of my life.

I attempted to check in my luggage, of which my allowance was 23 kg. My thrown-together-last-minute suitcase came out to a whopping 31 kg. Good one Rach. Fortunately for me, the man at the counter felt so bad about the state I was in, hangover and all, that he allowed the extra weight free of charge! I am undoubtedly grateful to you kind sir.

From then it was time to board my flight to Brussels. I was flying Brussels Airline and could barely walk on the plane due to the intense throbbing throughout my head. I needed to kick this hangover.

Not today.

The flight to Brussels was one of the most turbulent flights I’ve ever been on. One of those flights where the entire airplane seems to suddenly drop out of the sky over, and over, and over again.

I noticed my hands and arms beginning to tingle and eventually I could not feel them. My head was spinning and I started to sweat. Panic attack.

The woman on the other side of the aisle from me noticed my struggle and attempted to comfort me. Had she told me right off the bat that she was actually an air stewardess herself, I may have received all the comfort I needed. Nonetheless, she informed me that was one of the most turbulent flights for her as well, and she has had some obvious experience.

I made it to Brussels with minutes to catch my next flight out to Madrid. By this point, I was an un-showered, sweating, hungover mess. I once again boarded my flight, this time to Madrid, with much discomfort.

The flight to Madrid was one of the most turbulent flights I’ve ever been on. One of those flights where the entire airplane seems to suddenly drop out of the sky over, and over, and over again.

De ja vu? Yeah, tell me about it.

When I finally made it to the ground, I had landed in Madrid. But not without the haunting sound of every passenger screaming on the previous flight when the plane felt like it was going down. I walked to the baggage carousel and waited for my luggage.

And I waited, and waited, and waited. With a few other sad souls.

I eventually followed a few other travelers I recognized from my flight, to the information desk. We explained our situation and filed a claim against our now declared ‘lost luggage’. The overwhelmed Spanish man explained it could take anywhere from 24-72 hours for my luggage to be sorted and delivered to my temporary address aka my hostel.

What an end to the day.

But don’t worry guys, it gets worse. That’s when the cramps kicked in. Mother nature was really not on my side today either. Because who doesn’t love a good menstrual cramp to go with their impossible hangover and lost luggage?

I took the metro and eventually found my hostel where I explained my predicament. They were extremely helpful in taking my information and promising to call the airport first thing the next morning. Until then, I had to go shopping for clothes to sleep in that night, clothes for the next afternoon, and all the necessary toiletries one needs for a sleep over.

The next morning was partially a nightmare as the airport was MIA whenever I or the hostel called. I decided there was not much else I could do but try to take advantage of my afternoon, in the absence of my belongings.

I participated in the free walking tour that the hostel provided and prayed my camera battery would last a few hours that afternoon. I was lucky enough to catch some great shots and wander the city of Madrid with some fellow travelers.

I was in Spain after all.

I enjoyed my afternoon to the best of my ability and arrived back to my hostel to hear my suitcase still had not arrived. It was time to buy more clothing and this time a phone charger. I allowed myself a mini mental break down and then hopped into bed to watch New Girl.

The following morning the hostel had heard back from the airport and informed me my luggage would be there by that afternoon! It only took 48 hours, but I finally have all of my belongings and am feeling much more relaxed. I am excited to take on Europe and glad I did not let the hiccups of my initial day of traveling ruin my time in Madrid.

More adventures in this stunning capital next on the blog!

{I am currently staying at U Hostel Madrid and highly recommend it! Not only did they help me with my luggage, but the dorms are adorable and clean. Shower pressure is amazing, and they provide a lift for those extra heavy bags! U Hostel provides many activities including the free walking tour I participated in, drinking games with unlimited Sangria nightly, bar crawls, and cheap dinner deals. It is not too far from the city center, about a 20-25 minute walk to Puerta de Sol, and metro station only 5 minutes away}