I almost always fly in the morning, just varying times, i.e. so early it’s easier to stay overnight in St. Louis, or just get up super early and deal with rush hour traffic. This was my first evening flight in a long time. It was a bit unusual to have most of the day to sleep in, take my time to pack, etc. And somehow I didn’t forget anything. It was a nice enough day in southern Illinois which was nice – no bad weather to contend with or delay my flight. I was also lucky to get a VERY cheap nonstop flight. I don’t usually mind having one stop, partly because it’s usually cheaper. But when I have to check a bag, nonstop is best – less chance of baggage getting lost.
The flight itself was relatively non-eventful, which is always a good thing. A little bit of turbulence, but I always expect that. I was near the back of the plane. Lots of open seats allowing most of us plenty of room – two people in a three seat section. I was sitting next to one of a group of about 10 soldiers that were headed to South Korea. What a fresh-faced group they were. So very young. I talked a bit with the young woman next to me. She seemed excited to be going overseas but nervous. She was also happy to be in a non-war zone. When she asked what I do and I told her that I was a librarian, she immediately responded with my cringe-worthy response, “So you get to read all day?” Not too long ago, I came up with a good, brief response to explain what I do. She was fascinated! She asked me tons of questions, and then proclaimed that she was SO excited to have met a real librarian! What a hoot. She and the others just reminded me how lucky we are to have these brave young men and women protecting us and our freedoms.
We landed on time in Seattle … not that we could see anything. The fog was thick enough that I could barely see the tip of the wing. Seattle was in the middle of a multi-day air purity advisory – or something like that. Basically the fog was so thick that emissions weren’t able to leave the atmosphere. Yucky. So no fireplace usage. Mom and Dad met me at the airport. This was only their second time making this trip, and with the fog and dark, I’m impressed that my dad only missed one exit! I settled into my room and pretty much went straight to bed.
Trials, Travels, and Tribulations 