Chris and I get up and head out the door by 7:40am to catch our plane back to Frankfurt Hahn. As we walk out the door Bethann asks if we have our passports. I know I do, but I decided to take my passport pouch from my backpack and put it over my shoulder. Either on the second subway train, or the train to the Airport I managed to drop my passport and not realize it. You’re probably thinking, “How the hell do you drop a passport in a pouch that is slung over your neck?” It was really hot on the subway, which was packed like a sardine can, so I took the pouch off to take my sweatshirt off. Had I been smart, I would have stuck it through the collar of my sweatshirt before taking my sweatshirt off. Upon arrival at the airport at 10am, 55minutes before our flight, I realized I no longer had my passport. In a panic, I ran back down to the train, but it was already gone. I figured I would try my chances with getting on the plane at the check-in desk, but no such luck. Chris got on the flight himself to avoid having to pay the $75 missed flight fee to take the next flight. I felt he should not have to pay the fee for my stupidity, and Sheena was waiting at the Gate for us because she was on the same flight.
After Chris left, I went around to the train customer service office and asked if anyone had turned it in. They said no, and that I would have to wait 2 hours for the same train to make it back. While I was waiting around, I got the U.S. Embassy number from airport information, and gave them a call. Thankfully I was outside London, and it was during the week so I could get an emergency replacement passport. Two hours went by, and the train returned without my passport, so I jumped on a train back to London and headed for the Embassy. As all bureaucratic things are, I sat around for 2 hours waiting for my new passport after which I headed back to Bethann’s place. Back at her place I bought new tickets for the same flight on Tuesday and headed to bed after a tiring day of running around with 50 lb of baggage.
For most of the day I felt extremely down, and wondering how I could be so stupid. Things got better once I made it back to Stockwell station, station by Bethann’s place, because I knew were I was. I headed to a fish and chips place after taking the bus to Bethann’s because she wouldn’t be home for another 40minutes or so. Life was much better when I finally saw her walking up the street to her place, and all despair left my mind after talking to Nia on the internet. It was comforting just to talk to some people I knew after my ordeal. All said and done it was a $300 mistake on my part to buy a new passport, plane ticket, and round trip train ride to London from the airport.