I just got back to Dublin from a 2 week trip home to Chicago. It was pouring rain when I left and had been for about a day earlier. Surprisingly my WOW Air flight was only delayed about 20 minutes. So it was onto the plane after a short delay and on to my first experience flying with the infamous discount transatlantic airline. We rolled away from the bridge towards the runway before stopping...and waiting...for an hour. By that time there was a full blown thunderstorm outside and I was getting a little nervous as the jet engines began to roar and I could feel my body being pressed against my seat. 

The plane lifted off and we made our usual rocky start. As we kept climbing I began to notice a little more turbulence than normal. I was sitting in the aisle seat (it's my preferred seat on all flights) so I leaned over to look out the window. All I could see was rain, clouds, and flashes of lightning followed by thunder. I didn't panic until we made our first drop. I quickly made the instinctual sign of the cross and couldn't help but imagine us descending into the Northwest side Chicago neighborhoods below. The turbulence kept on coming with continuous dips and I could read the other passengers' concerned faces around me. After about 30 minutes it finally came to an end as we reached our cruising altitude. It was definitely nothing to be concerned about but when all was set and done I couldn't help being reminded of my trip to Juneau, Alaska seven years earlier, almost to the day.

This is a story that I am glad I could look back at an old journal entry to remember some finite details. It all began when I went to visit my girlfriend at the time in Juneau, Alaska. It was a typical fall day in Chicago, a little chilly but sun shining and clear skies. I was to catch a morning flight from Chicago to Seattle and then on to Ketchikan, Sitka, and my final destination Juneau. I made my first connection which had a layover of four and a half hours. By the time we were to board the aircraft the weather had turned bringing rain with intermittent thunder and lightning. The flight was delayed by thirty minutes. I was getting anxious and just wanted to reach my final destination as soon as possible. Well, a half hour turned into an hour, and then two.

Alaska Airlines finally gave the go-ahead. They gave us the option to fly and said it's possible that the flight would not make it to Juneau but instead would be grounded in Ketchikan or Sitka if the weather got worse. The other option was that they would put you up in a hotel near the Seattle airport and fly you out sometime the next morning. I talked with some people who took this flight regularly and they said they often fly out in worse weather and it's worth it. If the flight is grounded then you can jump on that same flight the next day. I took the locals advice and about 15 of us boarded the plane to our first stop in Ketchikan.

There was constant turbulence during the two hour flight and I gripped the seat with white knuckles the whole time. We landed in the tiny Ketchikan airport and were immediately informed that we would be delayed to Sitka. I exited the aircraft and headed straight to the bar. The tiny airport consisted of 2 terminals, one concession area, and a dive bar. It would be another hour of waiting. The day kept getting longer and longer. I bellied up to the small bar and ordered an Alaskan Ale and made small talk with the locals. After all, the airport bar was "the" place to be in this tiny Alaskan town. CNN was on the TV and breaking news came in that the Chilean miners were being rescued from the collapsed mine. I remember thinking to myself that I will always remember where I was when those miners were rescued. Sure enough it is still fresh in my mind. A few more beers and some small talk later I was being called to the gate. They gave me the same option: I could continue on or stay in Ketchikan. I decided to continue on and a few more people dropped out. There were five of us rearing on to Sitka.

It was another bumpy one hour flight and as soon as we touched down we were informed that the flight to Juneau was cancelled. We would have to find our own accommodation. I planned to sleep in the airport but one of the hostesses informed me that the airport would close and I had to find elsewhere to sleep. This was mind boggling to me. I figured all airports were 24 hours but I rolled with the punches and continued on my way. By that point I was semi-drunk and had been traveling for around 14 hours. There was a shuttle parked outside the airport picking up people for one of the only lodges in town. I asked the driver if there was anyway I would be able to sleep somewhere for free as I didn't have much money and was headed back to the airport in the morning. He quietly explained that I could take the shuttle to the lodge, ask the reception to hold my bag, and hang out in the reception area until I fell asleep. He said people did it all the time. I was sorted.

I arrived at the Westmark Hotel and everything was going as planned. I dropped my bag at reception and plopped down on the reception couch and watched the big TV over the fireplace. This would be a great place spend the night. I quickly got bored and noticed a bar/restaurant connected to the hotel. I bellied up once again and started talking with a regular who was the local high school's football and basketball coach as well as the town sheriff. We went drink for drink until the bar closed. That's when he invited me to check out all the local bars and to meet his friends. By this point I was well drunk and ready for an adventure. All the while not thinking about my 7am flight to Juneau in the morning.

Our first stop was Ernie's. The definition of a dive bar, filled with local character's smoking Newport 100's and drinking well whiskey. I received the VIP treatment and was paraded around the bar to be introduced to each individual. I remember getting in a lengthy conversation about Carlos Boozer, a once Sitka native, then playing for the Chicago Bulls in the NBA. It was most definitely the town's claim to fame and I was honored to share in that pride. All the while I was given free shots and told to stick around the next day. I explained that it was impossible as I grabbed a soft pack of Parliament Lights from the cigarette machine in the corner. My new friend signaled to meet that we should continue on. With slightly slurred speech I left with a promise that I would be back again one day.

Out of the bar we turned the corner and walked a bit until we reached Pioneer Bar. When we walked in I found the age range very interesting. It was probably something like 15 to 60 years old. I guess that's how it is when you have a small population and limited watering holes. It was packed out and everyone was having a time. Photos of boats, caught fish, families, and regulars took up every inch of the walls. I walked around staring at each one imagining the life these people lived in this small town. Something I couldn't really wrap my head around at the time. I was just happy to be there. That's when i noticed a lot of people staring at me probably thinking 'who's the new guy?' I was paired up with a couple who were also in town visiting from somewhere in the lower 48 and we were surrounded with people asking questions and trying to prove their worth. I felt very important. Before long I was on the verge of a brown out and searching around for my friend. It seemed he pulled the old Irish goodbye on me. It was around 4am and I decided now was the best time to head back to the hotel to sleep.

I wandered aimlessly through the now cold and rainy roads of Sitka until I reached Westmark. the doors were locked. I panicked until I saw the sign to ring the bell, which I did. A woman answered the door promptly and asked me to show my key. I explained that I didn't have one, that my bag was in the back, and I was just going to stay in the lobby for the rest of the night. She looked puzzled and explained that I couldn't do that if I wasn't staying at the hotel. I pleaded but she said she legally couldn't allow it and apologized while closing the door. I sat there against the wall wet, cold, and verbally condemning myself for going out on the town. I faded into sleep but quickly woke because I was shivering. I needed warmth and sleep and I was determined to get it.

I popped up and walked around the building looking for a back entrance. I quickly found a side glass door that lie in between the bar/restaurant and hotel. Of course it was locked and could only be open with a key card. That's when I spotted my hero; the cleaning lady vacuuming the hallway. I motioned over to her to come to the door. When she opened I stated apologetically that I forgot my key card (stupid me...). She was more than willing to help me out. That's when I caught site of the woman at the front desk through a window in the lobby. I ducked down as the cleaning lady went back to her business. Thinking quickly I decided to army crawl across the carpeted floor into the lobby near the couch I was sitting on earlier. If I raised my head I would be busted. Thinking quickly again, which was surprising because I was very drunk, I pulled out the couch and proceeded to army crawl behind it. I wedged myself between the wall and the back of the couch. I waited to see if there was any movement but all was calm. I set my alarm to get up in the next few hours so I could make the free shuttle to the airport in the morning.

The time soon arrived and I was awakened by my phone alarm going off right next to my ear. I put it there to ensure I made this flight or else all of this struggle was for nothing. I slowly unwedged myself from behind the couch and cautiously raised my head to see if anyone was sitting on it or hanging around in the lobby. The coast was clear. Then I raised my head a little higher to peer over at reception to see if they seemed  suspicious. All clear. People were collecting their bags to get on the shuttle and I was just in time to get in line. Luckily the woman working the reception that morning was not the same as the woman from a few hours earlier, there was no question as to where I slept...

I touched down in Juneau just over an hour later; I bought a toothbrush from the convenient store and brushed my teeth in the airport bathroom. I was finally ready to take on the last frontier, hungover and extremely tired.