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Published: June 22nd 2011
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Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Today I woke up thinking,
“What am I doing?” Last minute changes I had been packing and re-packing all weekend. My carefully planned packing list turned out to be excessive, and my backpack, which I planned to weight 16-20 pounds, was a whomping 30 pounds! I went into mini-panic mode. How was I going to carry this bag on my back around Europe? I removed a couple items from my bag and weighted it again. Twenty-eight pounds. I had no idea what else I could remove at this point.
My mother arrived early to take me to the airport, just in case. It was a good choice. Ten minutes before it was time to leave, I made a rash decision. Screw the backpack I had researched and planned for. Out came the wheeled suitcase that had seen me through the last several major trips. Yes, I was sacrificing hands-free motion for dragging a wheeled box behind me, but the main point was that I would not be carrying the box on my back. Suddenly, all packing terror subsided and I was ready to go. We left on time.
(In retrospect, 30 pounds is lighter than my last suitcase to Europe. With the packing lists provided by the travel experts, I can only conclude that 16 pound bags are either for men, who wear only four articles of clothing, or for people who do not love shoes.)
All Airports Look the Same Arriving at SeaTac I headed straight for the security line, having checked in online the day before. Security was… working very hard to accommodate the crowd, to put it as politely as possible. It really was a mess. I was in a line that was rerouted half way across the airport, it seemed, to a checkpoint that was mostly functioning. Happily, I avoided the full body scanners and did not beep going through the metal detector.
I found SeaTac’s S-gates were under construction upon arrival. It was pretty ugly for an airport, but very pretty compared to my prior construction jobsite experience. The air conditioning must have been turned off; it was hot, crowded, and uncomfortable. I wondered if this is a sign of things to come when I got to Italy.
Once I had figured out my ticketing situation, I planted myself at a nearby bar. It’s cheaper to order a double instead of two single drinks, although I drank it just as quickly. Lunch and a drink calmed my nerves. I was not going to miss my flight, I had my tickets in order, and I was probably going to make my connection in Amsterdam without trouble.
Up in the Air The flight itself was uneventful, in a good way. I had a window seat and only had one neighbor to bother for aisle access. I loved the individual screen with a ton of movie choices. I watched three films and read my book. I wish I had napped more, but my nerves were willing me awake.
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