Delayed by a day...

For the past week at work, my colleagues have been asking me: "are you excited?" "are you excited yet??"
My answer has consistently stayed the same - no. The circumstances over the last 24 hours will justify this response.
I flew from Edmonton to Calgary to find out my flight to Amsterdam was cancelled. The pilot was 'sick.' The agent explained to me it would be cheaper for KLM to put us all up in a hotel and figure out our connecting flights tomorrow, instead of hiring a new pilot. I would have normally questioned that rational, but I decided to embrace the situation.
Now, aren't you all glad I wasn't over-the-moon excited for travel day? If I had been, I would have been crushed by the news. Luckily, I have a soft spot for Calgary and was able to make the best of my extra night on Canadian turf. The fact my first shift doesn't start until February 4th also helped me relax a little.

Detour over Calgary January 31.

Everything happens for a reason

With just under 24 hours in Calgary, I certainly made the best of my time. When life gives you lemons - go to a local pub and get a beer. I had lunch with a dear friend who is moving to the UK next month. The stars aligned to let us see each other one more time before her new adventure begins. I also caught up with another friend I hadn't seen in far too long. Funny how things work out! I also managed to make some new friends and dance the night away :)

I had no problem enjoying the king-sized bed at the Acclaim hotel all to myself. STARFISH!

Last meal: Tim Horton's cinnamon french toast bagel. Why didn't anyone tell me this existed??

Back on track

With a bit of a hangover; travel day #2 began February 1st at 1:30pm. As someone who could be called well-travelled, I have trained myself to sleep anywhere. Airplanes, airports, buses, trains... I’ve mastered them all. This trip has been no different. I’m sitting in the Moscow airport trying to find a cozy safe spot to lay my head for the next 12 hours. I considered going into the city, but I’ve already been AND my layover is from 6pm - 6am. My russian isn’t fluent enough to navigate the nightlife of this chilly city. I’d have been much more adventurous during the day. With my current luck I'd miss my flight, so I'll just have to put on my adventurer's hat for the return trip.

In the end, I'll be getting to Sochi exactly 24 hours later than expected. I'll still be greeted by a fellow volunteer at the airport and shown to my hotel. The first thing I plan on doing is to take a much needed shower...and I've still got over 15 hours to go before I can wash my hair! I hope to update the blog as soon as I get settled. Of course, pictures to come soon!