The day begins

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My eyes popped open with ease, unlike the usual mundane “I need to pry them open and drag myself out of bed” kind of start to my day.

There’s this feeling I get inside every time I fly. It’s excitement and it’s nerve wracking tied together with amazement and wonder.

I’d like to give a shout out to my mom and grandparents for my love of travel. I spent my childhood summers flying from Florida to Pittsburgh ushered through the Atlanta airport by kind stewardesses dressed in polished uniforms, a funny hat, that now resembles what the employees of in n out wear, tied neatly was a fancy scarf around her neck that I dreamed of wearing when I grew up.

And so my fascination began....

It’s now 4:00 am and Rio and I have to get ready soon to head south to the San Diego International airport. I suppose there’s nothing quite like the familiarity of your hometown airport for a traveler. We’ve learned to cram everything into one carry on to avoid the ridiculous charge to transport your luggage in the belly of that great big plane that will carry us across the ocean. It could be a whole different story on our return trip where we only want the accumulated treasures tucked safely in the overhead bin or stowed underneath the seat in front of us.

We travel in comfort now, unlike those days in the 70’s when it was fancy to travel. Back then men and women in suits seemed to glide through the airport with ease. I faintly remember a kind stewardess holding my hand in her white gloves, escorting me to my next gate. The days when it was a given you would receive a deck of cards and plastic wings if you were really good aboard the aircraft.

Encompassed in leggings and flip flops with my trusty travel scarf that has become my adult blankie, my eye mask, and sometimes the dreaded germ reflector. Yep, this trip has shed light on my germaphobic tendencies as we are smack dab in the middle of the worst flu season I’ve ever seen. I’ve stocked up on all of the necessities...my co travelers could secretly be laughing at me but I am determined to pump them full of emergen-C, lend a wet nap or two, and perhaps an occasional spray of hand sanitizer.

The excitement fills me knowing that at the end of the 5 freeway and the beginning of our travels we meet up with Lois and Skylar to perhaps have one of the best trips of our lives. ✈️

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