The night before my flight, I packed and made sure I placed my passport in my bag so I wouldn't forget it. It was my first international flight since I had moved to Germany four months prior and I wanted to be prepared, as would anyone flying internationally. Early in the morning the next day, I was gathering my belongings and decided to make a last minute photocopy of my passport because I've been told it's a good idea to carry a copy with you while abroad (so you don't risk your original passport being stolen while sightseeing). So I took my photocopy, popped it in my bag and was off to the airport.
Nick dropped me off at the airport a little over an hour before my flight, I checked in and then headed towards security. As I was walking, I reached in my bag so I could take my passport out and then I realized....I DIDN'T HAVE MY PASSPORT! Yep. I made that photocopy earlier and forgot to put my passport back in my bag! When I realized I didn't have my passport, my heart sank and I literally wanted to scream "Noooooooooooooo!" in the airport. My first thought was that I wasn't going to be able to go to London. I was mad at myself because I forgot my passport but I was also mad because I thought I was going to let Stephanie down and not make my flight.
I called Nick and told him what had happened and to come back and pick me up. While I was waiting for Nick to arrive, I spent my time at the airline ticket counter trying to figure out how I could get on another flight later in the day. I was pretty much out of luck. My only option was to buy a new ticket. An expensive ticket. So, that's what I did. I bought a new ticket, Nick drove me back home (an hour away), grabbed my passport and drove back to the airport to catch my new flight. I was originally supposed to arrive in London at noon but with my new flight I was set to arrive at 6:00pm. A bit of a bummer since I missed a half day of exploring but I was happy to at least get a flight. Lesson learned!
After landing at Heathrow and navigating the tube by myself (yay!), I finally made it to our hostel. We stayed at the Astor Queenway Hostel, located near Hyde Park. It was the first time I had ever stayed at a hostel so I was a little apprehensive about it but it turned out to be a pretty good experience. Shortly after I arrived, Stephanie checked in and we set out to find some dinner and explore a little bit of London at night.
I called Nick and told him what had happened and to come back and pick me up. While I was waiting for Nick to arrive, I spent my time at the airline ticket counter trying to figure out how I could get on another flight later in the day. I was pretty much out of luck. My only option was to buy a new ticket. An expensive ticket. So, that's what I did. I bought a new ticket, Nick drove me back home (an hour away), grabbed my passport and drove back to the airport to catch my new flight. I was originally supposed to arrive in London at noon but with my new flight I was set to arrive at 6:00pm. A bit of a bummer since I missed a half day of exploring but I was happy to at least get a flight. Lesson learned!
After landing at Heathrow and navigating the tube by myself (yay!), I finally made it to our hostel. We stayed at the Astor Queenway Hostel, located near Hyde Park. It was the first time I had ever stayed at a hostel so I was a little apprehensive about it but it turned out to be a pretty good experience. Shortly after I arrived, Stephanie checked in and we set out to find some dinner and explore a little bit of London at night.
Stay tuned for Part II of my London adventure!
