...AND WE'RE OFF!!! (Kinda lol)

Testing Testing 1..2..3. *Mic check*

I’m creating this subtack on what technically is day 2 of our year-long travels around the world.

After an extremely heartfelt (and dramatic) farewell from some of my best friends, Sam and I officially started our journey to JFK yesterday afternoon. For those local to NYC, you are aware it was Pride, so we were naturally greeted by a parade of people and a black Suburban BLASTING house music. I cried hugging my friends goodbye and proceeded to cry in the Uber while said music was still blaring for the hour and 15 minute ride.

The sunset was perfect, we drove over the bridge. It was the best send-off a girl could dream of <3

I had been so focused on getting my ducks in a row before the trip, it hadn’t really hit me until those final moments with my friends. Leaving our AMAZING life behind for adventures and the unknown is SCARYYY! But I’m so excited to see what’s to come.

Sam and I arrived at the airport (backpacks, a carry-on, and a garment bag in toe) and had a great time in the Delta lounge prepping for a redeye to connect in London before heading off to Seville.

Our friends Dan & Carina are getting married this weekend just outside Seville so the plan was to spend a few days in the city prior to the wedding festivities since neither of us has been.

Our flight to London got delayed and people were getting cranky by 12:30 am. Sam and I had already pulled out a deck of cards trying to entertain ourselves when we heard the overhead speaker announce the flight was overbooked. They are looking for volunteers to take a flight tomorrow in exchange for $2,000 buckaroos per passenger.

As a Maxxonista, I told Sam to run up to the desk and work his British charm. Technically they had enough volunteers when we spoke to the reps, but we continued to butter them up. After cracking a few jokes and banter, the Delta reps said they would add us to their list in case any other volunteers backed out. (Kirk and Siarra at Delta Desk B41 LFGGG!!!).

Long story short, we overheard Kirk and Siarra pick us over an Italian couple with a lap-baby sitting in Delta One (Arrivadercci, suckas!!!).

We were planning on going back to our apartment in NYC for the night after finishing the cash compensation paperwork ( For my Papi reading this… you taught us well to.. ASK FOR CASH!!), when we realized we stupidly left our keys in the apartment for our sublet.

We then started calling hotels around JFK & Brooklyn, but everything was booked at 2 a.m.! So we shifted to calling friends who we thought might be up at 2:30 am on a Sunday night (aka only Dan Knapp, who actually answered!) looking for a place to crash.

Sam then realized Dan and Carina already left NYC for the wedding and could call their doorman to let us crash at their place. We Ubered to WillyB, Doordashed MickyD’s, and couldn’t stop laughing at our luck.

Today, we decided to push our luck and rebook directly to Spain rather than stop in London.

Sam *once again* was able to finagle the Delta reps and completely change our flights to fly direct to Madrid and train to the wedding on Thursday. So now we will chill in Madrid for 2 days, rather than Seville but that’s called winging it and going with the flow!!! (OK I’m soooo chill and spontaneous, amiright?)

Our landlord let us into our apartment this morning with a spare key and we chilled soaking in the last moments of Grove Street.

Sam then decided to treat ourselves by booking us a Blade back to JFK for today’s flight (my first helli!).

We made it back to the terminal, and ran into Siarra and Kirk, and they helped us manage our checked bags/ arranged our seats together. Give these two a raise, Delta!!

That’s all I have for now.. an eventful day 1 and 2 before the real adventures begin..!