It's a little after 2 p.m., and my plane is well on its way to California. We're cruising over Iowa, heading toward Nebraska, at well more than 30,000 feet, according to the flight tracker the couple in front of me has on their screen. It's been an uneventful flight, unlike this morning!
I got to the airport in plenty of time this morning. I had already checked in, which saved time. While in line for security, the man at the x-ray machine directed me to an area where people are patted down. Hmm... A security officer directed me to stay but he didn't say much else. Another worker came over, and she was much nicer. She examined my hood (which I had down) and said she didn't know what a man was seeing. I offered to remove it but she kindly said I was fine.
I stopped for a bagel and cold coffee and headed to the gate. I met a very nice elderly couple. I learned they, too, were heading to the West Coast. They were going to Seattle to meet their 2-week-old granddaughter for the first time! How exciting! As time wore on, it was becoming clear our flight was not going to be on time. The plane from an earlier flight leaving from the same gate hadn't moved...and passengers started exiting. A young guy went to inquire what was going on. I started to get nervous about making my connector in Detroit. He was nervous, too, because he had to catch an international flight and didn't have a lot of time to spare between flights, either. He's a member of the military. I wish I had asked him where he was off to. I hope he made it.
We learned the plane hadn't taken off because of a disabled passenger. I assume another plane was needed to accommodate the passenger. The airline brought in another plane for us and had us board unconventionally. We had to walk down a flight of stairs and board outside! I had never walked on the area where the planes drive before.
Our flight was quick – only about half an hour! We pretty much went up and down again. Despite the short flight, I was cutting it very close with making my next flight, especially with the delay and having to wait to secure my larger suitcase from an on-board checking system. To top it off, our landing was rocky. “Must be windy,” the lady next to me said. Right she was. Nervous I'd miss my connector, I kept thinking “fear nothing,” the saying on my bracelet I wear in honor of a dear friend.
I walked out into the terminal, checked for my next flight ... and immediately was nervous again. I was at a gate somewhere around number 60, and my connector was at NUMBER FOUR. I had less than 25 minutes until takeoff. And, the airline wants everyone boarded within 15 minutes of takeoff. That meant I had less than 10 minutes to get there – that's about 50 gates while toting a very heavy laptop bag and rolling suitcase. I huffed it through the airport, briefly considered getting on the tram but decided to keep walking (I would say running, but running wasn't an option with my luggage). I'm sure I was quite a sight to others in the airport!
Needless to say, as I'm typing this while in the air, I made it! I walked up only to learn this flight had been delayed slightly, too. Amazing how God works sometimes, huh? The people on the flight have been great – there's a couple ahead of me originally from Hong Kong and they have a gorgeous 14-month-old son. The young girl next to me seems very polite and her mom has been sweet. I've been lucky!
2:27 p.m. We're now in Nebraska!
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