Around this time of the year I always remember all of my ridiculous travel stories flying home from college for the Christmas break. My very first time coming home for Christmas, I had no idea what the heck I was doing. I overpacked like crazy. I had a huge rolling luggage, a large duffle bag, my backpack, and a small carry-on bag. Of course this is in addition to the sweater, winter coat, scarf, hat, and mittens I was wearing because it was snowing pretty hard when I left my dorm.
The plan was to catch the shuttle that picked up at the Bookstore and ride it all the way to Midway Airport in Chicago. My dorm was on the complete opposite end of campus from the shuttle pickup. And with all the luggage it was definitely about a 30 minute walk especially in the snow. As usual, I was running late. Like very late. Like the shuttle is leaving in 15 minutes and I’m still throwing things in a bag late. I somehow made it down three flights of stairs with all that luggage and out the door. I’m hoofing it across campus as quick as I can which is still pretty slow. The luggage was so ridiculously heavy.
I was basically running as fast as I could down God Quad. I looked at my watch. The shuttle should be leaving at that very second. I kept running hoping that it was running late. I got to Main Circle which is still a pretty good distance from where I needed to be and I gave up. I couldn’t run anymore. I was exhausted from everything weighing me down. Literally.
At that moment, an angel appeared. An NDSP officer was parked at Main Circle for whatever reason. He saw me, jumped out of his SUV, grabbed all my luggage and threw it into the back and told me to jump in. He tore down the road basically flooring it the whole way as I could see the shuttle pulling out of the parking lot. Ugh, I thought, what am I going to do? I just missed the shuttle.
The officer laid on the gas even more and screeched to a halt as he cut off the shuttle which was now halfway into the main road. He got all my luggage out and stood at the shuttle doors until the driver opened the doors, loaded my luggage, and sold me a ticket. Then he drove away without even letting me say thank you.
I could feel the glares boring into my skull as I shuffled to my seat exhausted and out of breath.
Thank you, NDSP officer. Thanks for helping a so-bad-at-time-management, freshman girl get home for Christmas.
(I do wish I could say that was my only misadventure due to me being late. It soo was not.)
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