Travel Hell...take 1

I booked our flight to CA about a month ago. It took me like 3 hours to get the flight booked cause I was trying to use Amex points for part of the payment for the two tickets. We planned to have the girls be lap babies cause they are under 2 and the price of just one seat for them was as much as our tickets. (hind sight is always 20/20). It took a long time because we wanted early morning, we wanted a direct flight (from FL). I dont even remember all that was involved but I ended up going through Delta. Had to transfer our Amex points into my Delta sky miles then use them to pay for one ticket and pay for the other ticket on and on it went, but I eventually had 2 tickets from Tampa to California book...so I thought...



Our flight was scheduled for 7am. We got up at 3 to get ready and get the girls into the car and to the airport by 5. We managed to do ALL of this I even made a hellatiously funny joke that early in the morning. We have a HUGE suitcase and Julie commented that it was too heavy. I looked in it and said "it's the camera, you know the camera adds 10 pounds." Yep we were on vacation. Im always funnier on vacation. We get us all in the car and head to the airport.

Upon arrival to the Tampa airport we were stunned at how confusing the tram system is. We had never parked in long-term parking before so we did not remember it being so odd. We get to the counter and the LGs are being EXCELLENT in their stroller. We go to the ticket counter to check our baggage. The lady at the counter (very nice lady) looks a little confused as she looks at my boarding pass and says "out of Orlando?" me, "No, out of Tampa..." her, "out of Orlando." me, "Tampa.." She points to the word on the boarding pass and says "Orlando." I feel all of my blood rush at this moment. I look at Julie and she is as pale as I feel. She tells us we can try to get on the 11am flight out of Tampa but it has a lay over or we could leave RIGHT now and possibly make the Orlando flight. I go into panic mode. We check tickets and it would cost us over $1000 for just one ticket change. So we make the decision to drive to Orlando and try to make the flight in Orlando. Remember that tram.... It was like a living hell trying to get back to the car. We get back to the car and RELOAD everything.

The LGs were really good till Avery got hit in the face with vomit at 90mph on I4. I drove my car like I stole it all the way to the airport in Orlando. Julie got carsick (first time in her life). It was a combination of nerves and my driving Im sure. We left the airport in Tampa at 5:30. We got to the Airport in Orlando at 6:45... too late... there was no way we could make our flight to CA. They have a flight out at 7pm so we booked that. Headed to Gramma's house to nap and recoup before our flight at 7pm.

How does one make this mistake you may ask.... well, I dont know. This is one of the if not THE biggest mistake I have ever made. In my defense I lived in Orlando for about 95% of my life and the word Orlando just never even registered as wrong...