Planes and Panic (Continued!)
- By: Lady_Lobotomy
- Created on: 10/19/2009
- Rated By 7 Users
- Comments: none
I inhaled to the maximum capacity my lungs could expand. My hands shook with excitement for the journey. I exhaled. Before me stood my bear of a dad, bold and broad shoulders with his bushy mustache, next to him my mate of three years, slouching with his goofy smile. They wished me luck, and I returned with a slight smile. This is it, I thought. If you don't jump through this airport security right now, I doubt you'll ever leave. I waved once more and headed through the metal detector as I have so many times in my life. Removal of a belt and a pair of shoes later, I was well on my way to my first plane of the day. I was on my way to Salt Lake City from Reno Nevada, and I was on my own. Usually this was a journey I'd make with my three older sisters, and they took care of everything. It was a yearly occurrence, and never had we once had a problem. Every summer we were handed over to my mother for summer visitation, due to my parent's divorce, long before I really understood what exactly was occurring. I was headed to the well-known and often talked about state of Minnesota. (How often do people hear of this state? North of it I was born, good old North Dakota. My best friend claims North Dakota a myth because it's never really talked about.) Land of a thousand lakes, beautiful and with grass; Which is something I certainly come to miss in a desert such as Nevada. As soon as I landed in Salt Lake, I knew this day was going to end rough. Apparently the airport was under construction, and my plane had just released me into a concrete hallway, barren of direction. Finally, I stumbled into a crowded room with a neat little help desk. While waiting in the dead-still line, an associate smiled and politely inquired: "May I ask why you're in this line? We're trying to cut down easy questions before they reach the desk." Shyly I responded with my confusion and how I didn't quite know where to go. She asked for my ticket, and I lightly placed it in her palm. "I'll be back in just a few moments." Her heels clacking on the tile floor as she trotted up to a scanner of some sort. Her face looked intense for a moment, and she handed it back promptly. "I apologize for this inconvenience, but your travel has been interrupted." My mouth fell agap. Me? Miss a flight? Never...! I fumbled into my pocket and realized my phone was off, I had to tell my dad as soon as I could. I pressed the 'on' button and waited an eternity for the loading screen. I held my breath as the loading bar completed...And felt a rising panis as the screen flickered...And reloaded the loading bar. My face drained slightly. You're kidding me. My brand new fancy touch screen phone was having a system error at a critical moment. For half-an-hour I waited in this line, watching this loading bar. Finally I made it to the front of the line and explained. I asked to use the lady's phone, and called my dad to let him know. I'll admit I got a tad bit sniffly, but being trapped in unfamiliar territory isn't a hobby of mine...At first, that is. After I asked the kind woman how to call a shuttle bus, I took a deep breath. And I wasn't afraid of anything as the feeling of adventure finally set in. I was excited to be adventuring on my own, in the rainy little city of Salt Lake. I stepped outside to wait for the shuttle, and breathed in the moist air. It was refreshing, and I was left to my thoughts. (...Only because I missed the shuttle by like two minutes, and had to wait a half-hour for the next one.) When it did arrive, I polietly shuffled onto the bus and then proceeded to plaster my face to the sunset scene behind the glass. When I finally made it to my hotel room, it was too late to use any of the vouchers the kind lady gave me. I made a few calls to let people know I was fine, and my phone was dead. Shortly after I crawled into bed and stared ominiously at the digital clock, with it's luminate blaring red numbers staring back. As soon as it hit four AM I stopped staring a rolled out of bed. Then I waited in the hotel lobby until six AM, the time of the first shuttle. I was so determined to catch this plane, I never bothered to sleep in that 300 dollar hotel room. As soon as I made it back to the airport, I looked about with half-open eyes at the closed stores with their metal gates down. I thought about coffee, but ever since I used my twenty in a vending machine a few airports back, I wasn't too sure if they'd appreciate counting out my quarters. (It literally sounded like I either broke the machine or hit the jackpot. The machine brandished a new sticker stating: "We now accept twenties!" I really should have thought that through before buying a pack of gum. But it left me with plenty for the payphones!)
A good few hours later, I finally boarded my plane, exhausted but in high spirits. I was so tired, as soon as the stewardess deemed it safe, I flopped down on my rickety old tray and slowly descended into sweet slumber. It was a good nap, until the kind gentleman in front of me decided now was a good time to recline his chair...On to my head. I startled out of sleep confused and a little pained. For the remainder of the plane rides until good old Minnesota, I was as awake as I could be.
Looking back, it sounds like a pile of misfortune. But I have to admit, I did have fun in the end. Making a journey of a bad situation really can be an important factor in your mentality. Being a little doofy can't hurt either, if you do it right. Although-Putting a twenty in an airport vending machine? I can't say I reccomend it.
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