(1 of 2. Part two in comments)
Story time.
@colehammontree and I were in Orlando for a content shoot. The shoot itself was incredible, we had an amazing talent on set who, to our surprise, gifted us free Disney tickets so we could celebrate after we wrapped. Dream scenario!
We cut every line, rode every ride, eating sushi at Epcot. The Guardians of the Galaxy tight was an absolute masterpiece.
But then came the nightmare.
We rolled into MCO at 5 AM only to be greeted by pure chaos. The airport was a zoo. Every TV screen was blue. Every flight delayed. No explanations. Just chaos. Normally my sweet spot! I was feeling the anxiety of not getting home and I was adamant about getting home because it was my third child’s 1st birthday.
Turns out, a global tech meltdown was underway. CrowdStrike (?) was having a system wide malfunction, and since their software apparently powers much of the airline industry’s scheduling and operation it wasn’t looking good.
We managed to catch our first flight to Atlanta, but that’s where the unraveling began. We got off the first plane and every airline system seemed worse than before. Delays, mile long lines, people losing their minds. No hotels available within 50 miles. No rental cars available. Escape routes in ATL…the walking dead.
Our only place of refuge the
@delta SkyClub.
And by fate alone, we ran into none other than frequent collaborator
@loganzillmerphoto in the lounge. He was flying in from the west coast and was also stranded. We were now the three amigos. Drinks were flowing, food was marginal, and the commiseration was real.
But as hours ticked by, reality set in. We weren’t leaving. The earliest possible flight: 9 AM the next day and the standby list was loooong. So we set out in search of the one thing harder to find than an on time flight, a corner of Atlanta’s airport not already claimed, and preferably without any rodent exposure.
We laid on the concrete. Contemplating life’s toughest questions.
Slept for a couple hours here and there.
8 AM rolls around and we missed the first flight. No surprise. We didn’t make the cut,but the skyclub opened shortly there after.
Mimosas!!!! WE WERE BACK!
