Leanne Butkovic took a weekend vacation from her Brooklyn lifestyle to rock out at Fest 11, but her three-day visit is likely to turn into a weeklong endeavor.
The 22-year-old Ohio native took a 28-hour Greyhound bus ride from Brooklyn to Gainesville Thursday morning, but her final return flight home turned into a cross-country trip from Panama City to Nashville, Tenn., and Chicago after Hurricane Sandy grounded flights to New England area.
Some people who came to Gainesville to attend Fest 11 and who traveled to Jacksonville to root for the Gators at the Florida-Georgia game are still trying to get home.
Several northeastern airports like LaGuardia, John F. Kennedy, Baltimore and Philadelphia have shut down flights due to flooding and leaks, ultimately cutting off commuters.
At her boyfriend’s apartment in Chicago, Butkovic described the situation as “surreal.”
Although she’s anxious to return home, she said it was a blessing in disguise to not be in New York during the hurricane.
“It was absolutely terrifying to see remotely,” she said. “I’m so grateful I wasn’t there. It’s just out of control.”
Butkovic left from the Panama City Beach airport on Southwest Airlines Monday afternoon without delay. Instead of heading to Baltimore for a connecting flight to LaGuardia, she headed for a stop in Nashville and continued to Chicago.
Southwest Airlines hasn’t notified her of a flight to New York. The only news received is a second cancellation text.
“I don’t want to keep paying for more expensive flights home,” Butkovic said.
Her best guess when she’ll fly home is Friday — four days after her expected arrival.
Anna Van Dingstee, a 23-year-old UF alumna, lives in the East Village of Manhattan. She came to her home state for the Florida-Georgia game in Jacksonville, but she doesn’t know how she’s getting home.
Van Dingstee flew into Jacksonville Wednesday night. She’s been couch surfing at friends’ houses in Gainesville since Sunday.
“I just came down for a standard trip,” Van Dingstee said. “I don’t know what to do.”
Her flight was cancelled twice, and she changed it once. She expects to fly Saturday, about a week after she expected.
“It’s bizarre being stuck in Florida when there’s a hurricane in New York,” Van Dingstee said.
