And I'm Off!

They recommend that you check in at the airport at least 2 hours prior to an international flight. My parents always arrive at least 3 hours in advance just in case. Now I am past security and outside my gate, waiting for boarding to begin. It is a very awkward time because I’m impatient to just get on my flight already so that I can get comfortable and fall asleep instead of having to keep an eye on my things. I enjoy traveling alone, I feel it gives me time to reflect and have some quality me, myself, and I time. However, it gets to be a problem when I want to use the restroom, take a nap, or do anything really. I’ve had layovers for several hours in the past, so I would hold on to my purse with my tickets and all that jazz, using it as a pillow almost, and hanging on to my carry on with my legs such that if anyone tried to steal it or open it, they would have to move my legs first. This works well despite that fact that at times I sleep like a rock so there’s a chance I wouldn’t notice, because the potential thieves figure I would wake up. I like to keep it that way J. I think one time, I asked someone else to watch my things while I ran to the bathroom. I didn’t get anything stolen and didn’t get arrested for finding a bomb in my bag, but in retrospect, that’s probably not such a good idea. I used to be very trusting of people around me, not needing evidence, but I think I’ve become more critical and wary of strangers – whether that be for better or worse.

You see all kinds of people in an airport that all have different ways of waiting. Some are super relaxed, putting their feet up on their luggage, looking as if they’re in the comfort of their home, reading that day’s paper. Others are obviously more rigid, sitting up straight, not daring to do anything, but nervously eyeing their luggage to make sure nothing gets stolen. There are many people on cellphones and laptops. I attempted to connect to the internet, hoping that perhaps the wifi had become free since my last attempt, but alas it was still costly. I wonder what percentage of the passengers using their laptops are actually paying for wifi, and which percentage are not? I compromised by writing this blog entry in word which I will later copy and paste into blogger. I found that you can change the date and time such that it can look as if I added this at the time I actually wrote it!

I left my phone at home as I would not be able to use it internationally any way, and I tend to be very good at losing things. Thus, I said goodbye to my parents before the security check, and they are probably still there, worrying because they did not get me an international phone in case of an emergency.