SOLSC Day 14: Snowy Day memories

So on this very snowy March 14th, it came to me this morning that on March 14, 1994.. Yes 23 years ago, there was also a snow storm. How do I remember this? Well, on that day, two recently turned 21 year olds, were supposed to be on their way to Daytona Beach to start their spring break! My bestie, Di and I, were seniors in college (her at Bryant in Rhode Island, and me at Bridgewater Sate in Massachusetts) and we were finally going away for spring break!

Our flight was mid morning, at about 10-10:30 and although we knew a storm was coming later in the day, we were hopeful that we’d get out before it got bad. My parents drove us in to Logan Airport early that morning, and we sat in the back, holding hands, and praying that our flight would be on time. Remember, this was before smart phones and the ability to just go online and check every two seconds in the car.

Not a flake had fallen out of the sky until we got to the airport, and then it started to come down. My parents said a quick goodbye as they had to drive home and wanted to get out of there before it got bad. We ran to the check out gate only to stop short when we saw the huge line of people waiting in the Delta line. We checked the board in panic and for a moment saw our flight listed, On-Time. We took a sigh of relief and got into the long check-in line. Finally, we were at the counter. We were all smiles and giggly. Ready to get out of dodge before the storm hit. when boom.

“I’m sorry. Your flight has been cancelled.”

NO!!!! So, as everyone else in the airport was finding out, all the flights were being grounded and nobody was getting out today. We could get on a flight on Tuesday (two days from then..) and we could try to fly standby the next day. 😦 Oh, and they gave us vouchers for a hotel room at the Ramada Inn at the airport and dinner.

What do we do? Do we stay? Do we call our parents and come back tomorrow? Our flight was not until Tuesday, however this woman was also telling us that there were a few flights to Florida the next day, and we could go on stand by. We thought about it and decided we’d wait it out, and try to get on any flight we could the next day that would get us to Florida. We can fly to Orlando or Lauderdale and rent a car if we have to. We  were only away until Saturday. We really didn’t want to miss any more of our beach time! So, we made a decision. Off to the Ramada Inn we go to wait out the storm and pray that we’d get out the next day somehow.

Yes, we were bummed, we were depressed, but we tried to stay positive. We were spending our first night of vacation in an airport hotel, but what we didn’t realize… so were a TON of other college students that also were trying to get out for spring break! Needless to say the restaurant and lounge of the Ramada Inn in Boston, had become “Senor Froggy’s” in a matter of hours that night. We TOOK. IT. OVER.  There was music, dancing, karaoke, lots of alcohol and I feel that all of us that were “stuck” definitely made the most of our situation.

That first night of our spring break, stuck in Boston, was one of the best, most fun nights of our entire trip! We met great people, we laughed, we danced and we had a blast!! So funny how an unexpected “bad” situation, turned into an amazing night! We actually did get on a flight to Orlando the next day and made it to Daytona Beach the following night by 5:00-6:00 at night, and our official vacation started. We had a great trip, lots of laughs and lots of fun together, but after all this time, that first night at the Ramada is the memory that is most vivid in our minds. We have laughed and relived some of the conversations we had that night over and over again in the last twenty-three years. Oh so many memories. Good times.