Domestic Flight Accounted For

Only cost an extra hundred bucks or so for the new domestic flight from LAX to Phoenix this time and then to STL. The guy on the phone that I talked to via SKYPE really helped me out a lot and thankfully so since he understood where I was coming from and the misery of this ash cloud. Facebook updated me and one of my buddies came down from Auckland to visit us in Wellington and sure enough he's stuck here until further notice. What's worse is that he missed both of his finals because of the cancelled flights!! I don't know what's going to happen with that yet.

Larger picture...worse things could have happened than me being stuck in Wellington, NZ

Re-Set the Date: June 29th

The next available flight for me, just me was the 29th of June. Megan, Morgan, Carter, and two others automatically got switched to a flight on the 28th of June. By the time I called there wasn't anything left. I'm still working on the United States domestic flight back to St. Louis. This flight leaves Wellington to Sydney, Sydney to LAX. Its no extra cost just 5 days later...

Stuck in NZ

We didn't know how today would pan out but we were going to enjoy our 'last' day nonetheless. Megan, Morgan, Taylor and I started out the morning bright and early by jumping once more off the plank into Oriental Bay. I swear the water was even colder today but I got in there and jumped in about 6 times or so. It was a lot of fun and I'll miss that for sure. The rest of the day I spent packing and walking around Wellington, taking photos here and there so that I'd never forget this place. As for the rest of the night now, since everything is either taken or cancelled for the next day or so, we'll just stick it out in Wellington or airports. Wish us luck!

It's Official

Both flights tomorrow are cancelled. Jetstar and Qantas airlines are refusing to fly through the ash cloud, and since they are my two airlines that I'm supposed to fly through, I'm screwed. I honestly don't know what to do now. Go to the airport tomorrow maybe but I don't know if they'll even fly out on Sunday either - how can the ash cloud change so much?? My St. Louis flight is screwed too - I'll lose all money on that plus what I'll have to pay for another flight once I arrive in LAX. I don't know what else to say besides what are you gonna do. I booked the flight 9 months ago and low and behold timing is everything.

The ash cloud is the middle streak

Chilean Ash Cloud

Not to worry but there is a serious possibility that my flight from Wellington to Auckland and Auckland to LAX will be cancelled now due to the ash cloud over New Zealand from Chile's volcanic eruption. Qantas and Jetstar flights have been cancelling all week, while Air New Zealand flights seem to remain unaffected. Of course I'm flying Jetstar and Qantas all the way home. Flights were cancelled today to LAX which really, really concerns me for I don't know how much will change in the next couple of days......

I'll hear more from TEAN later as we e-mailed them tonight to try and get a better grasp on the situation. All I know is that if I miss these flights, I miss my flight back to St. Louis as well which most likely means it'll cost me another flight fee. I don't really know what else to do right now besides pray and hope for the best for Saturday.

Almost There

Just putting the finish touches on my end of the semester project which I hope to post here once I arrive back home this weekend. I'll save the summarizing post for tomorrow since it is technically the last day tomorrow. But for now I'd like to once again thank Lauren Gabbell and TEAN for booking our shuttle to the airport tomorrow - yet another expenses paid inclusion from them. Tremendous.

Another thing is that I'll start preparing for a TEAN student ambassador position shortly but receiving the e-mail was kinda sad in a way. It was titled TEAN - alumni for crying out loud which means I've been through a study abroad semester already and my time here is done! I've also been on TEAN's facebook page and I see kids going through the same trip planning and process as I went through just 5 months ago. Uhhh its absolutely crazy!

DONE

Just a reminder - I did do some studying during my study abroad experience and today was the last educational experience. My History 120 final was all I had left and it went real well. I also sold back my Marketing 101 book and got 55% buy-back-rate, which is far better than the half a percent we get through Drake's Bookstore (hence the reason for me renting textbooks in the States). Now all gets concentrated onto the on-line summer class and 4 days left in NZ...ahhh!