Oh, good luck, Suz. I am crossing my fingers it gets back to you, quickly and with everything intact.
One time a few years ago, I flew into Dallas, got my suitcase from the baggage claim, got to my MIL's house, and unpacked it before I realized that someone had taken my entire cosmetic case out of it. All my toiletries, hairbrush, etc., including a prescription. I was so steamed! I had to fill out a bunch of paperwork documenting each item and how much it cost to replace it, and it took months to get reimbursed.
When I was flying to Svalbard, Norway, last year (the originating point for a two-week stint on a ship in the Arctic), I had to change planes in Oslo, and my connecting flights ran very close. I had to sprint through the airport to make my flight to Svalbard, and I was warned my checked bag might not make it for another 24 hours. Sure enough, I had to check into my hotel in Svalbard with only my camera gear on me. Thank goodness the airline was very good about following through, AND that I had given myself a full extra day before our ship was embarking from Svalbard. My luggage showed up at the hotel at about 4am the following morning! One of our fellow passengers on the ship was not so lucky -- he arrived later, and his luggage was delayed, so he was scrambling around the little town in Svalbard, trying to buy what he needed for two weeks of Arctic exploration -- gloves, hats, socks, long underwear, pants, you name it. I felt so bad for him!
These kind of snafus are the main reason why I have given myself a whole extra day in Punta Arenas, Chile before embarking for the Antarctic in a couple of months.
