Thank you for flying with NWA. Not.

4am. The familiar ringing of my alarm clock roused me from my slumberless sleep. I was up until around two in the morning, my head pregnant with thoughts of life-changing possibilities with another creative agency.

My luggage sat in the darkness, its neon stickers watching me. It wasn't at all hard to get up. In two days, my cousin is getting married. And I'm flying off to San Diego to attend his wedding. On top of a hill.

I made myself breakfast at five - stove-cooked oatmeal and a serving of blueberries to go with it. I was struggling whether to keep my eye drops in my bag or stow it in the luggage. I didn't want to deal with airport paranoia over a thumb-sized liquid container.

By 6, I was already at the airport, ready to check in with my luggage. I felt pretty good about booking my tickets online and selecting my seats already. This should be a breeze.

When I got to the check-in counter, the guy told me that I didn't have a seat on the plane. Anakngpowtah. He directed me to another counter where the lady wasn't of much help either. I asked for an upgrade but all she told me was the flight is full. Bollocks. And besides, I wasn't on their records so I can't ask for one. But if I wanted, I could purchase business class seats for 3K. Gee, thanks, ha? No other options were presented.

Incensed and disappointed, I phoned a sleepy boyfriend at 7 to check other airlines and schedules online. But any other flight would make me miss the wedding anyway. I had to be on that one. But it didn't happen.

I went home, head throbbing and emotionally drained. The drive back was one long discussion with my parents about the fiasco. My dad said I should sue.

It was harder to break the news to the folks in the U.S. who had just come from the wedding rehearsals and were excited to see me, after almost 10 years of being apart.

There was nothing else I could do except wait for Monday to come and file a complaint. I never had a problem with other airlines, maybe except for PAL's perennial lateness. The whole time, I thought, I should have flown SQ.

In hindsight, maybe I wasn't meant to take that flight (that's the superstitious schtick kicking in). But for whatever reason it may be, I will miss that wedding on the hill. And Labour Day weekend sales.


Reluctant to unpack. My room. 9AM.