Traveling at age 49

Travel used to be an exciting adventure…for me anyway. Not so much anymore. Were there another way to get from here to there, I’d take it.

It all began when I checked the American Airlines website regarding luggage allowance. I do it every time because I’m paranoid about getting stuck with something I cannot put on the plane…like happened years ago with a footlocker.  Missed my flight that day. Still remember the lady who blocked my flight.

This time, I had three bags. I was prepared to pay for #2 and #3. The computer screen only gave the option for one or two bags.  Uh-oh. The lady at the counter put both hands in the air and said, “It’s Haiti’s rule, not ours!” A seasonal embargo on luggage. So there was no way around it. I couldn’t ditch a bag full of stuff in a corner somewhere, so I asked if I could reschedule my flight for later. She kindly tapped away on her keyboard and set me up for later that day…at no charge.  

I went to a quiet corner of the airport and unloaded all three bags completely. (I had 12 hours to accomplish my task, so there was no pressure. I got a few funny looks, and one funny comment though.) I put my stuff on three piles : stuff I need ; stuff I’d like ; and stuff I don’t need. I worked it out so that I had two 50-pound bags of stuff I chose. The rest would go home (thanks Jared Baldwin!).

SO, I was now going to overnight in Miami. I got there about 9:00. Never found the hotel shuttle until 10:30. There I was at the hotel desk…it was 11:00pm and I was asking about getting a shuttle to the airport at 4:00 am for a 6:00 am flight. That would mean a full four hours in a bed. Having spent the previous night at BWI, I was sleep deprived already. I decided to skip the $100 bill for a four hour nap and shower. I sat on the lobby chair. As my head spun, I decided I better get the room. (My decision making was deteriorating.)

I showered, ate an expensive sub, and rested on a bed. I felt much better…and noticed that my flight was actually not until 7:00 am. Another hour!

The next morning I flew into Port and rode out to Pasbwadòm. I was punchy by the time the sun went down…four hours of sleep in three days. I laid on my bed for just a second. No one else was home. I fell asleep immediately.

I heard a noise. It annoyed me. I know I should stop it. (It was my phone ringing.) It was dark. I had no idea what country I was in. I had no idea what position my body was it. I had no idea what a telephone was. It lasted for some time. My senses came to me. And I lived happily ever after.

Traveling ain’t the adventure it used to be.