Start of a Long and Lonely Journey Down Under

Well,I always felt that corporate travel was great.You get the best airlines,the best seats and best places to visit but then the flight was a long way off.......

15 January 6 PM - The travel agent of a big Indian MNC informs me that he is trying to get me tickets on a direct flight to Sydney for 8:30 PM on the 16 Th and asked me the keep my bags ready...that sent me s scampering to get forex and medical insurance ready.With a lot of help from my office colleague,I make plans to get these two things done by 12 pm the next day..a good 4.5 hours before the reporting time for the flight from Mumbai airport.

16 Janaury 11 AM: I am staying put somewhere in New Bombay so that I can make a single trip to my office to collect the tickets and insurance and directly go to the airport.I call up the agent to find out the status and he informs,as has been the routine over the last few days tht he couldn't manage to get any tickets.You sometimes wonder why do some people not understand that there is entire chain of events that will be set off based on their information.Anyways,with no tickets,I suddenly realise that I better start for office and mark my attendance.I did not want to take any of my precious leaves that I have been accumulating for the last 6-7 months for no reason at all.

16 January 12 PM: I am in one of those rickety State Transport Buses,in the middle of nowhere when the agent tells me that I have got a confirmed ticket for the evening and have to report at the airport latest by 8 PM.

From then on till I reached the airport it was one hell of a journey.
1PM -Somehow reached Office
4 PM-Caught a cab to new mumbai to pick up my luggage
5:20 PM:Reached my place of stay...Dressed up for an international flight in with no lights because of the power cut.....if you can call jeans and a pair of striped,formal full sleeve shirt and a sandal ..I though what the heck,,,,you have everyone traveling in shorts and bath room slippers ,at least i was decently dressed.

5.30PM- Took the same cab to the airport.............On the way realised that I had skipped lunch ..bought a small pack of Parle G and some water
7:45 :Reached the airport just in the nick of time (people from mumbai would appreciate the fact that going from central mumbai-new mumbai-andheri(in the evening peak hours) in 3.5 hrs is a decent achievement

Well,I did manage to catch my flight Gave me a strange sense of achievement........Still don't know why on earth i was feeling so good about reaching the airport.... The flight offered me a quick exit for some of the troubles over the last few weeks..looking forward to a decent place to stay for the next few months....... only time will tell......