Dec 21- It begins

21 December 2008. After planning my trip to Italy with Brian in July 2008, the time finally arrived. Jeff drove me to the airport on Sunday, December 21st. It was very cold. My flight was to be at 1:30 PM. I paid $75.00 for an earlier flight out of Chicago - 3:55 instead of 6:08 PM, so that I wouldn’t make Brian come get me so late at night in Newark. I was to be met in Chicago with a wheelchair. We landed outside and I decided to walk in rather than wait by the plane in the cold. By doing so I was refused a wheelchair ride. I waited several minutes then set off down the terminals. I had two mis-directions and finally asked a gentleman (who was reading the departure schedule board) if he knew anything and he set me on my way. I arrived with minutes to spare before scheduled takeoff and then sat three more hours for my flight as weather problems had created a big delay. Chicago was very cold with drifts of snow on the runway. Eventually, I arrived in Newark at about the time I should have originally landed. Brian met me and we travelled the 65 miles up the Hudson River to West Point for some sleep.