So...
Til that evening on Tuesday, I still had no news from Delta regarding my bag. I talked to them on Monday night and the guy asked few questions regarding the contents in the bag and its possible locations. He said it should be in Boston but wasn't sure. After nearly 90 hours, they better have found out.
Anyway, I spent pretty much most of the later part of my stay in Boston with family members from my mom's side. It was great spending more time than usual, as in the occasional visits over the last 4 years or so, we would stay in Boston for only an night or two. This time, I was all by myself, with all the time to do what we want.
I bought some clothes on Sunday, after realizing that I wasn't going to get my bag anytime soon. There was a GAP store near my cousin's place and I just bought 3 basic tees and 2 shorts, as it was really hot in Boston. I met Pamela earlier in the morning, before she flew off to NY with her family, and it was really great seeing her after such a long time.
Anyway, when I reached my aunt's place, they were getting ready to go to some girl's graduation party. There I was, barely wearing a plain tee and shorts, and to top it off, I was wearing flip flops, while the others were dressed to go. Since nobody was going to know who I was and I had a valid excuse, I decided to go on like that. My cousins assured me that I will be introduced to the '10 hottest desi girls in the community' so I was queasy about it, but then I realized later on that that really didn't matter (I'm not trying to imply anything here)
Later that night, two of my cousins and I went to catch 'War of The Worlds.' I don't know where to start with that movie, honestly. Since no other movie wants to compete with that that weekend, that was the only thing to watch. It's not bad, but I had some questions that need serious answering, but other than that, it's something that's good to catch. Just a little disappointed.
The next day we really didn't do a whole lot, but the highlight of the night was catching the fireworks for the 4th of July celebrations. Imagine, firework effects coordinated with music for almost 30 minutes continuously! It's definitely one of the best shows in the country and it was well worth the wait and all the walk from where we parked, since they closed off most of the roads. Hopefully I'll get to catch the other ones in Chicago, Philly and NY in the near future.
On Tuesday, I bid farewell to everyone before my cousin took me for a good old tour of Boston. Harvard Square, Back End, Fenway Park and North End were great places to see. It's been good 7 years since I went to all the touristy places in Boston and things have really changed. I really like the city, more than any other, and maybe, just maybe, I would want to be here if I do decide to go to B-school. It's definitely in the top of the list, especially as it has two of the best universities in the world - Harvard and MIT.
Anyway, after that, we went to the airport, and as I found out, my flight to Pittsburg was delayed! It was all a deja vu of what happened on Friday. Only this time, I actually had to line up in the general section before I could be attended. After nearly an hour, I was told that the only flight I could take to was to good old Charlotte, the place I was directed to on Friday. I really hated the sound of that place and I had an uneasy feeling that with the thunderstorms going on, it was going to be delayed and I would miss my connecting flight to Atlanta. The next best thing was to take a 7am direct flight and that seemed like the best and the safest option available. Not only that, I got the chance to stay another night in Boston! We happened to have some guests over for dinner and I got to get some great food that my aunt cooks.
Oh, and guess what. I took a walk down to the U.S. Airways baggage claim area just to see what they would say about my bag. And miraculously, I saw my bag! It had been sitting there since Sunday and no one notified me for 2 days because a lost bag claim was filed with Delta, but not U.S. Airways. It was insane! Thankfully nothing was missing from the bag and I got everything nice and easy. I think I'm gonna type up a compensation request anyway, it's worth a try.
The only problem with the new flight was that I had to reach the airport at 5:30am to make sure that I get that flight. Which meant I had to wake up at 4:30am. Despite knowning that, we ended up staying up til 1:30am catching an Icelandic film 'Noi' which was pretty interesting. Oh, and I also caught 'The Machinist' the night before, which was very well done.
So after getting about only 3 hours of sleep, my cousin took me to the airport, only to find out, I was placed on a seat request ticket. This was too much. When the guy gave me the new flight option, the least he could have done was to guarantee me a seat. I had a hunch that I would not make this flight either and that I would never make it to Atlanta. And I had to take another half day off, which kinda pissed me off, as I was missing work for no good reason. Thank god I got the PTO priviledge as a co-op student.
I rushed back to my room, dropped my bag off, changed my shirt and ran back off to work. Since I had slept for only 3 hours, I felt like shit. But I got over it, as there wasn't a whole lot to catch up, unlike what I had expected.
I realized there's only 4 more weeks to work left and the time seemed to have passed by way too fast. At the same time, over this 5 day spent in Boston, I really appreciate the holidays as a working person more than ever. I should do this more often, but this time with friends, over 3 day weekends, we'll just take a flight out somewhere, to California or New Orleans, and just explore uncharted territories for us. I bet it'll be immense fun.
I'm glad I've experienced a new light of travelling and interacting with relatives, as it is very different from the last time I was with them. It's a sign that I'm also getting older, and as I close in to turning 21, I think it's all for the better. The last year has taught me many things I would otherwise not have imagined going through, but it's all been excellent training for what is to come in years to come.
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