flying

I flew cross-country a week ago to be present at the wedding of some of my dearest friends from college. It was a wonderful occasion that I was honored to be present for. Yet somehow I would rather talk about the weird/interesting people I encountered in airports and on planes.

First, across the aisle from me on my outbound flight, there was a man, either in or just out of the Army, traveling with his wife and two small children (who were very quiet and well behaved), drinking a Jack and Coke at nine in the morning. Apparently time loses all its meaning at 10,000 feet.

The girl in the row in front of me and one seat to the right (so I could see her books and computer without trying at all), an apparently harmless sort with short pants, tall socks, and very long hair, spent the bulk of the flight having really frightening gchat and email conversations with her fellow 15 year old friends. I fear for the youth of today.

In Seattle I waited an hour or so for G's plane to arrive, and for M to pick us up. There was a girl who looked like Maddie, a guy who looked like Dakota, a girl who looked like a cross between Tristan and Draco Malfoy (with the addition of several very elaborate chest/back tattoos), two boys who looked like the walked off of the Jersey Shore (one in a white and gold "Obama is my Home Boy" t-shirt), two entirely androgynous people (apparently sisters?) from Missouri who decided not to notice that I was sharing a bench with them (which wouldn't have been a problem except that they kept kicking my luggage when they waked past), and the little Korean women who volunteer to direct passenger traffic at the airport. I am sure they are very helpful to, say, the thousands of Asians they talk to every day, but their accents are so thick and they talk so fast, that I found them more confusing then helpful (in three sentences all I heard was the word "left" Do I go left? Should I never go left? Am I being left? So many questions!).

Now I am home, fighting jet lag, back in the midst of wedding planning, happier and more tired than a week ago :o)