"Tell mom not to worry, they are treating me like a king"

Here is what happens when your flight gets delayed 8 hours in London:

• You have a momenent of panic at the check in desk when she tells you about the delay
• You get tickets for a free shuttle to a free 5 star hotel
• You are desperate to contact your family to inform them but there is no wifi 
• You are told you get a 3 minute phone call at the hotel
• You get lost trying to find the airport shuttle pick up. More like, you get lost trying to find your way OUT of the airport.
• You meet a nice guy who is in the same situation as you and informs you of the shuttle schedule
• You get on the shuttle and begin to cry uncontrollably
• You rehearse what you are going to say in your 3 minute phone call and decide who would actually be able to answer their phone right now
• You get to the 5 star hotel and find out there is free wifi, free lunch and dinner, free spa, and a hotel room with a shower/tv/and a bed. Suddenly it doesn't seem so bad anymore and you no longer have the urge to cry.
• You find your room and send a mass message to everyone who needs to be informed about your flight details and hope that someone can arrange to pick you up in NYC at 2am.
• You take the best shower of your semester abroad. 
• You go to your free lunch
• You meet a nice London man from your flight to chat it up with about NYC and what he plans to do there for 3 weeks. You have a deep philosophical discussion on traveling the world and the meaning of life.
• You go to the free spa
• You update your blog from the last few trips you have taken
• You meet a guy from your flight in the hallway. He is lost in the large hotel and you help him find the elevator. He is in pilot school!
• You go to your free dinner
• You meet another person from your flight. This is a girl who studied abroad in London. Also a biology major. THINGS IN COMMON!
• You check out of your room and take the shuttle back to the airport feeling refreshed and ready to get home!
• You finally get on your flight and you end up next to the pilot in training guy from the hallway. What are the chances?
• The other person sitting by you is a 26 year old world traveler from America on his way back from Tailand where he works as a journalist for CNN. He started his travels studying abroad at my age, and just never stopped. His passport has 3 times the normal amount of pages, endless visas, and a plethora of stamps. 
• You get 2 meals on the plane
• You try to sleep a little
• You wait in the airport for your awesome sister and brother-in-law to arrive at 3:30am
• You will not be able to sleep the whole ride back because the muffler fell off in a giant puddle within the first 10 minutes of the trip and is now dragging below you.
• But none of it matters because you have now arrived HOME!