I started the 4 hour journey at 9 am. I was supposed to be at the meeting place by 4 pm. After throwing out my back, over-stuffing my luggage – causing it to semi-break, missing a ferry, a train, and the last bus from the Hamptons I was still surprisingly optimistic. That positive attitude helped me convince a complete stranger to drive me to the NYC border where I could take a subway from Queens to Newark Airport. Unfortunately, there were no cabs in Queens, so I hopped on the subway with the help of another kind stranger who carried my luggage down the stairs. He was kind to me, but rough on the already fragile suitcase. The train arrived just in time for my luggage to completely split open and dump the contents on the ground. Another kind stranger promptly produced some much needed duck tape – really – and again I was on my way. The plan was to take the train from Penn Station to Newark Airport, but between my broken back and the broken luggage, I couldn’t fathom anymore trains so I climbed out from the depths of the subway (with help, of course) and hailed a cab. It was now 3:30 pm. The cab driver told me we would definitely get there by 4 pm – the traffic said differently and for the first time I started to doubt my chances of making the flight. Unbelievably we made it to Newark Airport by ten after four, but finding the designated meeting spot was a different matter. After twenty minutes of driving in circles we saw the company off in the distance and my cabbie jumped two medians to get me to the entrance. Imagine my surprise when I found out that we had a little extra time – just enough for me to go look for new luggage at the airport terminal. One quick shuttle and excruciatingly painful walk through Terminal A, I still hadn’t found what I was looking for. A nice woman at the information counter suggested I take the bus to the mall and guaranteed I would be in and out in less than 30 minutes. It took 20 minutes to get to the right terminal for the bus, ten minutes to get to the mall, 20 minutes dashing through Burlington Coat Factory and I finally had my new luggage! Another 45 minute bus transfer wasn’t an option and the universe was smiling at me when a cab drove by at the perfect moment. And even though he didn’t speak English and had no clue how to get to the airport, somehow we found our way. Just in time for the mechanical problem. My middle passage wasn’t nearly as rough as my ancestors and I am happy to report that after all that – I am on my way to the motherland!