Getting there is supposed to be half the fun...

Perhaps.
Or just the most stressful.
Probably both.

This weekend Megan and I visited Dublin with another one of our friends who was traveling from Antwerp. In order to get to Dublin, one must take several modes of transportation from Brussels before reaching the final destination. From our house we must first take the tram to the metro stop, take the metro to the train station, take the bus from the train station to the airport, and then fly from the airport to Dublin. Our flight was leaving at 7:20 on Friday evening. I thought if we gave ourselves three hours to get there, we would have plenty of time to arrive before the "strictly 40 minutes" before departure time. I was mistaken.
We left our apartment at 4:40, laughing merrily and agreeing that it was quite good for the two of us to leave within 15 minutes of our anticipated departure time. We arrived at the tram stop five minutes later. While we were waiting at the stop, we ran into two other teachers from ISB, Norah and Niall, who were on their way to the city. And this is where the adventure begins...

Norah: So where are you girls headed?
Tori and Megan: (grinning) Dublin!
Norah: Wow, that's great! So how are you getting there?
Tori: We're taking the metro to Midi (the train station) and then catching the bus there.
Niall: Oh great. So do you know what time your bus leaves from Midi to the airport?
Pause. Megan and Tori glance at each other.
Tori and Megan: No?
Norah: Oh. Well they don't leave too often, you know. Like once every hour?
Tori and Megan: Oh...really?
Niall: But you should be fine. What time does your flight leave?
Megan: 7:20.
Niall: Oh...(steals a quick glance at Norah who is grimacing). Um...yeah...you should be okay.

We arrive at the metro stop at 4:55. Niall and Norah get on the same metro as us and do their best to ease our fears. Norah tells us she thought that the bus left two hours before a flight leaves, which would put the bus departure time at 5:20. Generally, it takes at least 30 minutes to get to Midi from our metro stop. This is when the panic starts to kick in.

Norah: Really, girls. You should be fine. Do you know where to catch the buses at Midi?
Pause. Megan and Tori glance at each other.
Megan and Tori: No...
Norah: Oh. Well, here, let me draw you a map.
Niall: Or better yet, just let us go there with you and show you the way. We're really in no hurry.

Megan and I gladly accept their offer. We have to make one transfer on the metro onto the metro that would take us to the train station. We jump off the first metro, and the four of us sprint to where we would be transferring, only to find that about 100 other people are waiting for the same metro. The metro pulls up shortly after we arrive. We do our best to beat the herd of people, and I think for a minute we had made it when Megan starts stepping into the metro, until the doors start shutting on her. Norah leaps forward and wraps her arms around Megan's waist to pull her back out of the metro. Once Megan's body is out of the doorway, the metro doors shut all the way, but latch on to Megan's flip flop, pulling it off her foot, and leaving it sticking out of the door. With the reflexes only a kindergarden teacher could possess, Norah leaps forward again to pull the flip flop out of the door before the metro takes off with it in its doors. She pulls it out, falls on the ground, and holds up the flip flop in victory. We only have a brief moment to celebrate, as the next metro arrives a short three minutes later.
We take the second metro with little commotion to Midi, arriving at exactly 5:30. The four of us push our way out of the metro, and proceed to sprint through the entirety of Midi towards the bus, the only mode of transportation left between us and our airplane. We arrive at the bus stop at 5:40 and ask the nearest man to us when the next bus was arriving. "6:00," he replies. We breath a sigh of relief. If the bus only took 45 minutes to get to the airport, that would leave us with 35 minutes before our plane departed. The man to whom we spoke assures us that he arrived at this airport with 15 minutes before his departure and they still let him on. Megan and I, still trying to catch our breath, smile at each other, relieved by our first "break." Norah and Niall leave us at this point, wishing us well as we tried to find the words to thank them for literally saving our trip.
Sure enough, the bus to the airport arrives within minutes, and we board almost immediately. I look at my watch. It's 5:47. "Wow," I say to Megan. "Maybe we'll even get to leave early!" The following is a time-tracked excerpt of my thoughts while sitting on the bus:
6:00-Still parked. Okay, time to leave!
6:01-Still parked. Maybe there are still some people waiting outside.
6:02-Still parked. Maybe my clock is fast.
6:03-Still parked. Why is the driver getting out of the bus?
6:03:30-Still parked. Why is the driver getting into his car?
6:05- Still parked. Okay, the bus driver is getting back in.
6:05:30-Still parked. The driver reaches down...(to put the bus in gear???)...and lifts up...is that...the cash box? Why is he counting the money now?!
6:06: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!!!
6:07: Megan and I begin to pray.
6:08. I lose the ability to think.
6:09: We're off!

We arrive at the airport at 6:54, 26 minutes before our flight was due to take off. We sprint through the airport, Megan almost knocks over a child, and arrive at the check-in counter praying that the woman behind the counter had been waiting all day to fulfill her good deed of the day. Still gasping for breath, I ask the woman behind the counter, "Can we still go to Dublin??" The woman replies with an emotionless "Yeah."
She fiddles around on the computer.

Megan and I are holding our breath...

"Your flight is two hours delayed. You are both very lucky."

It took a few seconds for it to sink in. You mean I almost had a self-induced panic attack for nothing? I guess more than anything, I was just relieved we hadn't spent the 100 euro it would have cost to take a taxi.

Lesson learned: Memorize all tram/metro/train/bus schedules before thinking you know how long it will take to get somewhere.

Dublin was amazing. Not exactly what I had been picturing, and it rained nonstop, and our hostel smelled like rotten body odered clothes, but with a few glasses of Guinness, live Irish music, authentic Irish food, delicious coffee and great company, I realized all the "stress" felt before was completely worth it.

I will post pictures in my next blog.
Cheers.