Getting There: Paris Edition

Friday I taught all day and threw a Valentine’s Day party for 15 fifth graders. I have never seen children eat so many sweets in one sitting! They were bouncing off the walls, I was so excited to get out of there.

Mary Anna drove me to the train station at 2:40 and I was on the train to Munich by 3pm. By the time I got to the airport I would have an hour to check in and find my terminal. When I got to the Munich train station after the hour and half train ride, I had ten minutes to get to the S Ban in the unfamiliar station. I was pointed in the wrong direction and ended up having to run all the way across the station. I jumped on the S Ban with two minutes to spare. Halfway to the airport the S Ban broke and there were no taxis. After about 20 minutes they got us to a spot where we could be picked up by taxis. I jumped in the taxi with 4 other people.

I got to the airport at 6:21 and my plane was leaving at 6:30. I had no idea where I was and I ran into the airport chasing an unknown terminal , for a flight that I was already late for. I found the terminal at 6:27 and the attendant said I was too late to check in and that I would have to buy another ticket if I planned on going to Paris. After a little pleading she changed her mind and agreed to make an exception because the plane was delayed. At about 6:36 she gave me a boarding pass and I flew threw security, not taking any of my liquids out, or my boots off and I ran to the gate. I got on the plane and turned off my phone. I decided to turn it back on to copy down my directions to get into Paris. When I turned it on, it asked for a code to turn it on… I didn’t have a code with me and my phone was my only was to get in contact with the girls I was supposed to meet up with.

Thank God I just happened to have written down one of their phone numbers and grabbed it on my way out.I got to the Paris airport at about 9pm and went to find a pay phone. The number didn’t work, I found the Germany country code, still didn’t work. So I looked for a computer, the only one I found was frozen.

A taxi driver offered to drive me to Paris and let me stay at his house, he said he loves Americans. Creepy, I’ve seen Taken! I high tailed it away from there… After getting away from him I ran into another guy who wanted to help me and tried to take me down to the airport work room for the baggage guys and sleep down there, also creepy. Finally an airport employee let me use his iphone so I could send a facebook message to the girls to let them at least know I was okay.

After that I logically thought about it, and I could ride the RER into Paris (it was now about 11) or I could stay at the airport until I thought of something better. I chose the latter and slept on the airport floor hanging on to all my belongings with a death-grip, terrified of Paris thieves. After tossing and turning much all night I woke up at 6:30 happy to still have all of my stuff. I headed to the bathroom to change my clothes and I had decided to try one more time to get a hold of the girls and then go to the Louvre Museum.

I stopped and asked a guy who was sitting by himself if he had a computer that I could use and he was more than willing to let me use it. When I explained my situation a little he offered me his phone… no one else would even think of letting me use theirs because the number was a German number. I called and the girls answered and gave me the name of the hostel and I jumped on the next RER and headed into Paris. I got off the subway a little lost. I stopped at a nice hotel and the woman gave me directions and I was at Jules Ferry within 30 minutes.

Oh… and I did all this while wearing my Valentine’s Day outfit, hot pink tights, little jean skirt, pink shirt, and of course snow boots. :)