Last night I was naturally too excited to sleep so when my alarm sounded at 3:45AM I sprung out of bed with a jolt of energy. Who needs sleep when you're going on an adventure?
I have done much air traveling in my life having family in Panama City, Panama. So nuances such as navigating the airport, getting to my gate on time, and traveling alone are not among my worries. It is more "How do I piss away five hours of time and still entertain myself on a 14 hour flight?" I am still struggling to find the answer to that question. I arrived in Detroit, Michigan airport at about 7AM and will not board for Beijing until 11:45AM. I have already walked all around concourse A, perused the gift shops, and selected a spot to have lunch. All before 9:00 AM; I'm done for. I actually stopped walking because I probably looked shifty or insane to airport security. "Why is this girl walking in circles for hours, huge circles?" Another huge disadvantage of getting to Detroit so early is that practically none of the shops are open. No duty free booze, no overpriced lotions and potions, and all the restaurants are still serving their grease-laden breakfasts.
Here is an irrational pet peeve I have when traveling alone, my seat. When traveling with friends I could care less. If I fall asleep on them, what does it matter? The prospect of being stuffed next to total strangers is not my cup of tea. Especially when the plane is small, or the person next to me smells terrible or is spilling into my seat. On my flight this morning the man sitting next to was spilling into my seat to where I was stuffed against the window the entire duration of the flight (30 minutes). He also smelled like expired aftershave and cheap toothpaste. FLYING NIGHTMARE! My brain was spinning, "What if the same thing happens on my way to Beijing?". "Thirty minutes was rough, what will happen if I have to tolerate such an inconvenience for 14 HOURS?!". Luckily I am armed with an Ayn Rand book and enough sleeping pills to put down a small animal.
On a lighter note the airport is a fabulous place to people watch, now it is no Wal-Mart or carny-fest, but still quite good. When I arrived I found my gate, located right next to an at the time closed Starbucks. I could not tell you the number of people who were under the impression that no other coffee existed because this location was closed. The first world is a tough place. Now the line at Starbucks is so long I wouldn't wait in it even if I was desperate for coffee.
Well it is time to seek some new entertainment. I only have to burn an hour and a half till I can get a salad from Chilis.
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