I’ve been keeping a funny travel story under wraps, but I think it’s time to share this adventure with you…
Picture this: It’s 1:30 AM, and I’m wide awake (because really, what’s the point of trying to sleep when you have to be up that early, right?). The plan was simple – catch a 3 AM bus from Belfast’s Grand Central Station to Dublin Airport for my flight to Spain.
Here’s where it gets good… I’m half-asleep at the station when I hear them calling for “the airport bus.” Being the sleep-deprived traveler I was, I pull out my phone with my QR code, but the friendly conductor just waves me on with a casual “Go ahead in, it’s fine” when I ask if it’s the airport bus.
I’m feeling pretty cozy, settling in for what I thought would be a two-hour journey to Dublin Airport, when suddenly… wait for it… we pull into Belfast International Airport! Talk about being in completely the wrong direction!
You should have seen me, this “mad woman” (as I’m sure the conductor thought) suddenly realizing my mistake. When he couldn’t help, I shouted “ I need to hire a car”… at this time of the morning, no way, jose. I then made a dash for the only taxi I could find at 3:30 AM. Bless that kind taxi driver who loaded my bags and agreed to take me all the way to Dublin!
But oh, the drama wasn’t over! Picture us zooming down the pitch-black motorway when suddenly a warning light flashes on his dashboard. My heart nearly stopped – all I could think was “Oh my gosh, I’m going to end up dead in some field in the Republic of Ireland, and my family will be wondering what’s left of me doing there when I’m supposed to be on a bus!” The driver assured me it was just tire pressure, but still!
Then, because apparently we needed MORE excitement, the motorway was closed! With both our GPSs not working, it was like divine intervention (Jesus, Mary, Joseph, and Olivia Newton John, as I was thinking!) that got us back on track. That taxi was practically flying down the motorway!
Yes, my wallet was significantly lighter by the end, but you know what? When I finally sat in that Aer Lingus plane and felt it take off, I had that feeling I absolutely love – the start of a new adventure. Although let’s be honest, the adventure had already begun before I even left Ireland!
The moral of the story? Sometimes your biggest travel mishaps make the best stories… and apparently, I should double-check which airport bus I’m getting on!
Have you ever had one of those travel moments where everything goes hilariously wrong but somehow works out in the end? I’d love to hear your stories!
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