Tuesday, April 21, 2009

The Journey

11:02 So I'm chillin' in the airport, waiting for my first flight out. I brought Jake's netbook with me, but thus far I haven't been able to connect to the internet. Kinda nervous because my luggage got pulled aside during check-in, and I swear I read on the flying rules that it's okay to pack pocket knives as long as their in your checked luggage. I'ma be a bit ticked off if they confiscate my knife. It's beautiful (not in a creepy way, I promise). It's a green Ka-Bar desert mule serrated flip knife and it is br00tal. It was like $40, so I will not be pleased if they confiscate it. I want to just get all the flying over with, already. I have a 5 hour layover after this, and it's going to be dreadful. I bought Pride and Prejudice and Zombies to read, so that will occupy me a bit, but still...five hours is a bit obscene.

15:08 Layovers suck. And what's worse than layovers? Problems at home that don't hit until you are in the airport with a one. It means that instead of productively travelling, you get to sit and stew for 5 hours, thinking about how you aren't there to help your loved ones...and how, instead, you're sitting on your ass deciding between $20 chinese food or an $8 slice of "Famous Famiglia" stromboli. Neither, I say, for both will inevitably leave me sharing intimate details of myself with the Airbus toilet during my deca-hour journey over the Atlantic. Not particularly my slice of pie.

Aside from the annoying angst I'm feeling for this airport situation and worrying about every possible thing back home, my trip is going pretty well. My first flight neglected to end in carnage, so one can only hope that the second follows it's stride. There has been ZERO wifi available to me (although 3G on my G1 has been a refreshing change!) which makes me wonder if I will have a chance to use the internets at all this week. If not, it's cool because at least I have the ability to save my documents and post them at a later date. I am getting a little worried about my luggage, but I figure if it gets lost or whatever, I'll just have to purchase a purely French wardobe. Somehow I will have to find a way to cope with the purchase of new clothes :)

19:09 So Philidelphia decided to literally rain on my figurative parade, delaying take-off for almost an hour so far. In the end, it's probably more helpful to me because it means less time that I have to kill wandering around Paris until check-in. "Extra time to explore Paris?! Why the heck are you bitching?" one might ask...and that question might be valid if I felt like lugging my ginormous L.L.Bean backpack around the city for six hours. I followed my own careful instruction about not packing too much; I literally only have 2 pairs of clothes, 7 pairs of unmentionables, 7 pairs of socks, a box of granola, toilettries, and my Ka-Bar. Half the pockets in the bag are empty, but that doesn't make the default weight of the sturdy mo-fo any less. And, with the added weight of my carry-on, I'll be a glorified packmule by the end of the day.
On the plus side I have been drinking a super ton of water. On top of making me thirsty, it seems that flying also makes me feel dirty. It's not the fault of any plane, facility, or passenger, so I think that maybe it's just the overall disgust of feeling like a lazy lump for the hours it takes for me to get anywhere. Which means in all likelihood my itinerary is going to change from "full-on exploration of a spectacular, wonderous city" to "check in asap, shower, shop, and relax." And I guess if you're going to pick any place in the world, Paris is as good as any to relax in! All I really want right now is to be sitting outside drinking a nice cup of tea and stuffing my face with crepes. Yes, please.

20:22 Finally in the air! I never realized how impatient a lot of people are. I have been spending all day just hoping that I make it to Paris alive, and people around me are complaining about dinner options, take-off delays, cramped seating, crying babies, the works. I get a bit irritated, but once I realize that I'm actually alive and on my way to Paris freaking France I feel pretty ridiculous for being to impatient about the little things. I, for one, am pretty stoked for my BBQ Chicken dinner and complimentary water. I am not all that religious, but I will truly consider myself blessed if I make it back to Maine next week with no more than a dent in my wallet and an expanded waistline.

10:23 Paris at last! My luggage was fine, although my French is NOT. Time for nap.

2 comments:

  1. I'm so glad you made it to Paris without much trouble (but man, if I'd known your layover was in Philly I toootally would've warned you about how they delay EVERY FLIGHT EVER)!! I'm very excited to read your entries and see LOTS of pictures. :)

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