4:30am - Wake up, look around, and see everyone else asleep. Scheduled to leave compound in an hour for the airport. Lay back in exhaustion.
4:55am - Get up. I should shower, but what's the point? We're just going to drive through PAP anyway.
5:30am - Packed, eaten, ready to board. where's the big blue cage (BBC) flat-bed 37-Haitian passenger bus?
5:50am - The 7 passenger panel van arrives, but we have a team of 15 and our luggage...
6:10am - Team Leader Rex makes the call: the team of 9 who fly out first are to board the van and leave now. We'll figure out what to do next.
6:20am - Van is packed and heads to the guarded compound gate. There it is stopped by the guards - the BBC driver called and told the guards to NOT let the van go. Hence the early morning shouting match: "WE'VE GOT TO GO!"
6:25am - I run across the compound, through the camp and into the girl's home to get the boss.
6:30am - One hour late, the first 9 teammates, their luggage, a driver and a security guard exit in a 7 passenger van for the airport (they make it off).
7:00am - BBC driver shows up, a bit late.
7:15am - The remaining 6 teammates, myself included, are loaded up and out the gate for the airport.
8:00am - Arrive at Port au Prince airport.
8:35am - Sitting at the gate after 3 rounds of security checks and ticketing.
10:15am - 4 teammates board for their flight to Ft Lauderdale. The 2 of us remaining are scheduled for a noon flight to Miami.
11:15am - Miami flight time is changed to 1:21pm
12:15pm - Miami flight time is changed to 2:21pm - we are not making progress here.
1:15pm - Miami flight time is changed to 3:56pm - this does not bode well - we go to the counter and reschedule our 7pm flight from Miami to ATL to 10pm - otherwise we won't have time to catch our connection. "Can we have a meal voucher?" "NO"
2:00pm - We return to the counter. "I don't have any money." She gives us two $10 vouchers, which we spend on something akin to fair food.
2:20pm - Miami flight time is changed to 4:04pm. Strangely, this is good news - the time to flight is actually reducing.
3:50pm - We board after 7 hours and 50 minutes in PAP.
7:10pm - Arrive in Miami, losing an hour in flight thanks to Daylight Savings.
8:15pm - Through immigration, picking up checked baggage, dropping off checked baggage, being force to LEAVE the airport and then reenter and go through security again (excellent airport design, mind you) - at the Gate to ATL.
8:50pm - Co-waiting Teammate arrives, having gone through customs as a Canadian citizen. We go eat at an neighboring restaurant and toast the day's adventures.
10:00pm - Board our flight - in honor of the remainder of the trip, it is 15 minutes late.
12:20am - Arrive in Hartsfield Airport - ATL.
12:45am - With everyone else walking away with their luggage and the conveyor turned off, I begin to expect I won't be coming home with my bags tonight. I walk Dave to his Hotel Shuttle and run outside to tell my Dad that I still need to get my bags.1:12am - After filling out a claim form for my bag that is still sitting in Miami, I crawl in the back of my parents' car and am headed for home.
1:56am - Am walking upstairs, giving my kids a kiss, hugging my wife, and heading for a shower.
2:23am - Fall asleep.