Christmas Eve Travel
The Super Shuttle picked me up 10 minutes early. A pleasant, stress-free ride to the airport.
Got through security in good time.
Several people smile and say how much they like the flashing Christmas light necklace...one woman even said that I made her day!
Found some good vegetarian food to take on the plane...oh! Time to board!
Almost get to my seat when they make the announcement:
“We need two people to get off the plane...we have another flight in six hours. You’ll be compensated.”
I volunteer.
I get off the plane, crew members thanking me profusely.
“Your gate checked bag will be at your final destination.”
Processing the new boarding pass. Processing the gift card compensation.
Staff on the phone: “No, the door is still open. We had a couple going to Brazil that weren’t checked in for some reason. No, they’re on the flight now. Two people volunteered to take the next flight.”
“Thank you so much sir for helping us out! You’ll get an email by this afternoon about the gift card. Here’s your new boarding pass. You know what? I’m going to buy you lunch too!”
The staff is so grateful.
A couple continues their international travel.
The plane leaves the gate a mere five minutes after scheduled departure time.
I’ll see family later than expected, but now there can be some after Christmas gifts too.
I text my wife: “I’m taking a later flight. Almost midnight before I get in.”
She responds: “You’ll be our Christmas gift!”
I find an outlet to charge my phone, and open my podcast app, content.
May you find all the peace and love you deserve (and you deserve bunches, and bunches!) this holiday season!
Travel anxiety
Tomorrow, bright and early, I will board a plane for the first time in sixteen years. Long before 9/11 and TSA regulations.
Can I strap my riq bag to my backpack and carry that on? Will my carry on bag fit in the bin? Will they question the CPAP I plan to carry in the carry on? Will they think it's suspicious for me to be carrying a laptop, Droid, iPod Touch and iPod 160?
Can I get by with taking my environmentally friendly soap?
Did I mention I am going to Allied Team Training for Parkinson's? Did I also mention I will be learning from Concetta Tomaino? Legendary figure in music therapy with neurological disorders...and there is only one other music therapist signed up for the training...how amazing is this experience going to be?
Will my suitcase be too heavy? I will be gone for five nights...I've never packed for a flight where I will be gone for five nights. Will I be like my beloved, who a couple of months ago was detained for two hours because for some reason she kept setting off the explosive materials alarms? (She may be a bombshell with an explosive personality, but I assure you she never touches the stuff!)
I usually keep my anxiety in check about many things in life...this one is getting to me for some reason.
I will get to spend some good time with co-workers and getting to know them better...I'm looking forward to that part of it.
Everyone keeps telling me everything will be fine...as long as I can fit my stuff where it needs to go and I don't set off an airport lockdown, I should be fine.
Irrational fears, or sensible preparedness?