Recently I traveled to Tavira, Portugal for a conference, and wore a huge smile on my face the few days prior to leaving as I anticipated warmer temperatures and catching up with some friends I hadn't seen in years.  The smile quickly disappeared from my face at the airport as I was told by smiling Ryan Air employee that I was OVERWEIGHT.  Well, not me personally, but my checked baggage was! 

Ryan Air is one of those companies that I have a 'love-hate' relationship with.  I love them when they fly me to Paris for a weekend with a friend for only $50 round trip.  I hate them when, as in this instance, I tried to book a 20 kg bag (45 lbs) to check-in but the computer booked only 15 kgs (33lbs) instead!  That's right, people, I was 12 LBS overweight.  Oh, and here's the really fun part...it was going to cost me €100 if I didn't get rid of some of my stuff.  (I didn't even pay HALF that for the actual plane ticket in the first place!!!)  Here's where the good story starts...

So I wander downstairs to arrivals as I contemplate what to do.  I was flying alone and had taken a bus to the airport, so there was no one to help me.  I went to the bathroom and opened my luggage looking for ANYTHING that I could throw away...anything at all.  Nothing immediately jumped to mind, and I couldn't stand the thought of actually throwing my CLOTHES away.  No, I couldn't put 12 lbs of clothes ON my person, so I had about 45 minutes to figure something out.  I sat down and looked around hoping for a plan to come to mind.  (I felt like MacGyver!)

Within a few minutes, I remembered a seemingly silly (at the time) radio programme I had listened to earlier in the week.  The hosts were talking about asking total strangers for favours (ie. skipping the line at McDonalds, sharing a taxi, etc).  Surveys were taken and the results seems to indicate that if you linked 'reason or logic' with your request the percentage of favourable responses increased drastically.  The more logical your reason, the higher chance you'll get the response you want even to the most unreasonable request.  I promptly decided to put this theory to the test...

Yes, friends, I asked a woman, waiting in Arrivals for her daughter, if she would help me as I had no other option other than throwing clothes in the bin.  I explained about Ryan Air and how there had been a mix up.  I could see the wheels turning in her head, and she finally realised my predicament...and AGREED!  So I stuffed a reusable shopping bag full of anything that seemed heavy, she took my mobile number and gave me hers...then off I went to try again with the nice lady at the check-in desk.

Fast-forward 8 days...I arrive back to a snow-covered Dublin.  I text my new 'friend' the next day telling her that I was back and that when the snow melted we could arrange a place to meet.  No response.  I waited a few days for the snow to melt in town and text her again.  No response.  I'm home now a whole two weeks (so three weeks from our encounter in the airport), and still no communication!  My last attempt, I decided to ring her and offer to drive somewhere and meet her...no answer, so I left a voicemail. 

By the end of the day, I was pretty convinced I would never see my clothes again.  I reasoned with myself..."Steph, they are ONLY clothes"...though I really wanted my Rookies hoodie back :)  I knew in the scheme of things, it was no big deal at all, so I let it go.  I wondered again, how in the world I continue to get myself in to these messes.

Well, as you have probably guessed from the photo above, she did finally call me the next day.  Her phone had been acting up, and she received my 3 texts and my voicemail all at once that evening.  We arranged to meet today...a mere 25 days later...and she wouldn't even let me pay her.  I honestly still can't believe this actually happened...I can't believe the plan worked!!