So, I'm still at Blaire and Michael's apartment. It's Friday night. I was supposed to be in Seattle in a mere matter of hours. Today was a bit traumatic. Got to the DC airport at 2:30 because Pat's mom had an earlier flight so Blaire just brought both of us. I thought I would be in the airport for four and half hours till my flight at 7. No biggie. Sat at my gate for a good two hours talking on the phone to two of the best people on earth, when I realized the little screen at my gate had changed destinations - mine wasn't up there anymore. Looked at the stupid TV's with all the flight and they had delayed my flight an hour and had also changed the gate. They changed the gate so far that I had to go out of the terminal and back through freakin' security. So I did that and found my new gate. But then I realized that the delay might affect my layover - was it possible that I wouldn't make my second flight from Philly to Seattle? I called T, already highly agitated, and he suggested I go to customer service to figure it out. 50 other customers and 45 minutes later, the young lad at customer service says, "What time do you want to fly out tomorrow? 5:45 or 7am?" I said, "Excuse me?" "Tomorrow. What time?"
Oh yea.
So I picked 5:45 because at the moment, I wanted to get to Seattle as soon as humanly possible. I thought walking might be faster. Now I'm regretting 5:45am, but whatever. So he prints my new boarding passes and I say, "So is there a shuttle to a hotel or something?" "Excuse me?" "Transportation. Do I have a way to get to my hotel? Is there a hotel?" "Uh, no." [Eyes watering]. He says, "Do you know someone here? You can either stay with someone or stay at the airport." "Ok." [My voice cracks.]
So I load my gigantic bookbag onto my shoulders for the umpteenth time that day and instead of picking up my gigantic duffle bag to put over my shoulders, all I can do is drag it. I call Blaire's husband Michael, trying not to cry, and tell him that my flight won't be leaving till tomorrow. He says he'll come get me. So I drag my stupid duffle bag all the way back out of another terminal, literally on the ground, the whole entire way to baggage claim. Oh I was so upset. I got in the elevator, and bursted out crying. For about 3 seconds. Then stopped when the doors opened. Then I plopped on a seat at baggage claim in front of one of those news kiosks and lots of magazines, and cried a lot more. I just wanted to be home. Then I called T and my mom. Oh I looked so pitiful that the lady running the kiosk came up to me and asked if I needed help. THAT pitiful. Once I was off the phone, she dragged my stuff a couple of seats over, pointed, and said, "Sit," so the sun wouldn't be in my eyes. I cried a little more. She came back over and said, "Why you cry?" "I don't want to be here!" And she walked away. I thought, "Oh I'm too much. Oh what a hot mess of a 20-something year old woman - crying for absolutely no reason. I made her walk away!" She came back over with an apple and banana and held them out to me. "It's ok, take it. No problem." Sniffling, I took them and said, "Thank you." "Relax. No problem." Then, she came over with a Diet Coke and said, "You like this one? Take it, no problem." Bless her soul. After dealing with some customers, she came back and handed me a receipt for Camel cigarettes and said, "If anyone ask you - show this. No problem." What a gem! Giving me a fake receipt! Finally, she came over and sat down next to me and we talked about her kids and how much she misses her home country of Ethiopia. We talked about how to make a marriage last; she said, "No lying. No cheating. He take care of you, you take care of him. He a strong man, you a strong woman." She mentioned that she thought Maria Shriver and Hilary Clinton were strong women. She was so CUTE! Then, as I was leaving she said, "When you cry, I am so sad! Be happy."
So, I wish I were in Seattle. But I got to talk to that sweet lady from Ethiopia and also to Blaire and Michael some more. It will be ok.
ThisisstreamofconsciousnessanditmaynotmakeanysenseIhavetowakeupat3:30am.
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