under the weather and stuck due to weather.

My most recent pairing was exhausting from the moment that it began. Unlike most overnight flights in which I arrive well rested and ready to take on the long evening ahead, this time I hadn't slept nearly as much as I would have liked to and I knew that I was in for a sleepy sleepless night.  

It was a long night, but thanks to a great crew we got through it and arrived in St. John's... finally. We were happy to have landed, especially after bad weather nearly forced us to divert to Halifax.  

It was a gloomy, foggy morning, perfect for crawling into my hotel bed for a much anticipated nap.  I woke up a few hours later and proceeded to the Tim Horton's attached to the hotel for a little energy boost. Much to my dismay, I didn't win my car as I'd planned to playing Roll Up the Rim.  Next time.  

I met up with another crew member, who'd spent the night raving about a small restaurant 15 minutes from the hotel. We agreed to venture into the slushy streets to get some delicious snacks for the flight home the next day.  Upon arriving, we found it to be closed and left heartbroken and hungry. With time to kill before meeting the rest of the crew, we wandered down Water Street and browsed the shops... including the candy store, where I left empty handed for the first time ever.  (I'm giving this healthy thing a shot again. It's so much less fun.) Our feet were soaked by the time that we met everyone at the Yellowbelly Brewery. While the rest sampled the local beer, I sipped water. Beer is gross, but the food was good!  After stuffing our bellies it was back to the hotel, where continuing my healthy streak I headed for the gym.  A quick run made me just sleepy enough to call it a night.  

Unfortunately, I'd been feeling a looming cold for a few days prior to the pairing. It decided to strike in full force that evening, keeping me awake and sniffly when I should have been fast asleep. The next morning came far too soon, and I felt terrible.  Luckily for me, the plane that we were to take home was delayed. This meant breakfast for the rest of the crew, and an extended sleep for me. 

I'd been completely unaware of the snowstorm that had occurred overnight, and on the way to the airport I was surprised at the amount of snow on the streets. Of course, the snow had also accumulated on the runways and heavy winds were making it rather difficult to clear. Shortly after we'd boarded our passengers the airport closed due to the weather. We sat and waited for hours before our flight was finally cancelled and we returned to the hotel. It wasn't only our flight that was cancelled. The entire airport had closed, making the hotel jam packed with only upgraded rooms left for us! 

We knew that the next day would be an early start and extremely tiring, but we were hungry and insisted on going for dinner before bed. It was off to the Keg, where I spoiled myself with steak and left feeling full and ready for bed. 

I slept much like the evening prior... awake for hours as my wake up time grew nearer. When my alarm clock went off at 5:15 am (1:45 am my time) I felt terrible, but ready to finally get home.  Every single person on the plane breathed a sigh of relief when we took off, leaving the snowy city behind.  It would take us over 12 hours, but we'd be home that day.  I couldn't wait to crawl into my bed.  After a few stops and a couple hours of waiting in Calgary, we flew back to Edmonton and we were done. I drove home, headed straight for the couch and self-prescribed bed rest for the evening.  Now it's the next day, and I'm off to do it all over again... here's hoping things go more smoothly this trip!  St. John's, I love you, but I love my cozy house more and am not ready to leave again!