Live Blogging My Trip To San Diego - A Journey of Epic Proportions

And so I've started on my 14-hour journey from New York to San Diego. Because airline tickets are just so expensive right now (400 dollars one-way) I'm availing of a free buddy pass courtesy of my brother on Southwest Airlines. Ah yes, Southwest. There's just no easy way to get to and from New York City with them.

At any rate, thanks to Blackberry technology, I've decided to give a blow by blow account of my little journey. Updates as they happen!

2:10 AM ET. Take a cab to Penn Station from homey apartment in Spanish Harlem. 15 dollars. I could have taken the subway but it would have added more time to the trip since I would have walked 3 blocks. Arrive at Penn Station at 2:30. Made a quick stop at the bank, printed my ticket at the kiosk, board the train at 2:50.

I'm on the train right now. Passengers are weird, a lot are already sleeping on the train occupying 2 seats how annoying. Train leaves at 3:05. Oh yeah, I'm headed for Philadelphia! Hahaha. I would rather fly out of Philly than Islip, Long Island -- the other hub of Southwest. I had a bad experience on the one time I flew to Islip when I swore never again Southwest. Apparently poverty can make one break a promise. Will be in Philly in one and a half hours. See you then!

3:25 I forgot to mention that this train ride is 74 dollars. I don't know why the train that leaves at 3 AM is 30 dollars more expensive than the one that leaves at 4;30. Unfortunately, that train arrives at 6 -- and the plane leaves at 6:20 so I didn't have a choice. The other option was to go for the 10:45 flight, but there's a greater chance that it will be full -- not a good thing for someone with a buddy pass which technically is a standby passenger. By the way, the train to Islip plus shuttle bus to the airport would have been 25 dollars, and also one and a half hours but in the opposite direction. Could have saved money there but the flight options from Philly to San Diego were much better when we were looking at the schedule.

4:30 ET Arrived at 30th Street Station in Philadelphia! City of brotherly love! Since I've never been here I was not able to immediately get on a local train to the airport at 4:36. It's ok since I was able to admire this building's architecture and take a much needed bathroom break. Waiting at the platform now for the 5:04 train which should bring me to the Southwest terminal at 5:20 -- hopefully enough time for the 6:20 flight. This train will cost me 7 dollars.
Darn, the sign just flashed that the train is 3 minutes late. Will I make the flight? Will airport security be tight? Stay tuned!

On the train to the airport now, but all thoughts of trying to make it on time have been erased from my mind since it is currently getting flooded with the non-stop chatter of 2 Chinese ladies beside me. OMG one of them has not stopped talking for 5 minutes already -- is that even possible? When does she find time to breathe? How annoying. It's 5 o'clock in the morning it already sounds like a wet market all of a sudden. Waaaaa. Oh yeah the airport. Most focus on panicking if I will make it or not...

5:28 ET At the airport. This might be close. The security line looks horrific.

5:48 ET I'm in! Now worrying if the flight is full, FOOD and the battery of my Blackberry.

Philalephia Southwest terminal looks very sad in my opinion. Kinda old and not modern. And the security line was like a prison check point. LOL. Glad that part is over. Omigosh what do I do about food...

Battery charged a bit. Hopefully enough until the next plane change. Now to worry about if I can actually get on this plane and food.

8:30 ET So I actually made it to the flight -- but not before personally delaying departure by 10 minutes. I was the last to board and then the doors shut. Stopover in Chicago now, but battery is low so hopefully I will be back with updates when we change planes in Pheonix in a few hours.

Yikes Southwest.

1:30 PM ET I'm in Phoenix! A better airport than Philly for sure. Also I was able to sleep for a couple of hours on the plane getting here so I'm a bit refreshed.

I was able to transfer seats so I got the exit row with lost of legroom to stretch. I'm now thinking of writing a review of these low cost airlines.

Anyway, a bit hungered but will be in san diego in one hour so will eat there.

Ok time to board. It's almost over!!!

3:30 PM ET I'm here! Woohoo! San Diego airport is tiny. But people here look so happy. I noticed a lot of military people.

I forgot to mention that in Philadelphia, I really made the plane wait for me. It was a bit nerve-wracking. I was at the gate (being the last passenger and all) and it turned out that I didn't have the correct boarding pass. So 10 minutes later, I finally get one. "Stop the plane! Rickey's getting on board!"

So there it is my 14-hour journey. It was not as bad as I thought. I think blogging about it helped since in the back of my mind I thought you guys were with me in spirit. Hahaha. Really, never again Southwest for any trans-continental flight. Short stuff fine, but this New York to anywhere on the West Coast thing will just not do. So let's see: New York, Philadelphia, Chicago (my first time, but just the airport, bummer), Phoenix and San Diego.

Okay, will blog when I can while I'm here. Mwah!