What Now

BLOGGED ALONG THE WAY: ROCKY MOUNTAIN HIGH EDITION

June 21, 2011

OK, that was probably one of the worst experiences I've ever had at an airport.  Well, nothing bad happened to me exactly, but I was so unorganized and everything got frustrating!

Josh dropped me off at the front (Bye, Josh) and I went in to find the right desk.  Denver's airport is HUGE, and my airline had a whole section just for themselves!  I initially went into the Online Check-In only line, so I had to finally ask someone where I was supposed to go.  Luckily, they were able to point me in the right direction.  I had no trouble with the actual check in, but when it came time to turn over my bag, the guy said it was 5 pounds overweight.  Well, Josh had told me I might have to pay a fee for an overweight bag, so I asked if I could pay and they said it would be $100.  Wow...that's just...wow.  They also told me I could try and remove 5 pounds of stuff from my bag, so that's what I tried to do.  I had to open my suitcase in front of all of these strangers and dig stuff out.  The lady said a pair of shoes and maybe some jeans would probably be fine, so I took out my jeans, my jacket and my brown sneakers.  It wasn't quite 5 pounds, but close enough.  They allowed my bag through without a fee, but I was now loaded down with stuff and had no idea how I was going to get it on the plane with me. 

That was the thing that threw me off, I think.  I had to figure out where to keep all of this new stuff that I hadn't anticipated on carrying with me.  I finally found a place to sit down and try to get organized.  I could carry my jacket, I stuffed my jeans into my already full backpack - the resiliant Jans Sport that I carry everywhere - but I had no place to put the shoes!  I tried stuffing them into my bag, but it wouldn't close.  I carried them almost to the security line when I finally decided that I couldn't juggle everything I had and still be able to get onto the plane.  I threw my shoes away.  I didn't know what else to do!  I was already in a state of panic trying to navigate a totally new place, making sure I still had my tickets handy, grabbing my ID so I could get through security and all of that...I just felt the shoes were colateral damage of my already hurried state.  I felt bad about doing it though.  Granted, they aren't shoes I wear very much, but they were not that old and still in really good shape.  I wish I could have left them in a place where someone could have taken them if they wanted them, but I was afraid that the airport security would think I was planting shoe bombs around the place.  Sigh.  Into the garbage they went.  :(

Amazingly, I made it through security with no problem and I struck out to find my gate.  I was in B52 (easy enough to remember) but when I found it, it said the outgoing plane was going to Crested Butte!  Arrrgh!  I know I had read the board correctly, and my ticket said it was the right gate, but the plane wasn't going home!  I tracked down a security guard and asked what I needed to do, and they said it was still the right plane...I was just really early.  Phew. 

By this point I was able to sit down and try to reorganize my backpack again.  I also realized that one of the reasons I'd been freaking out was because I had forgotten to take my anti anxiety medication.  If I'm going to fly, I need to take it.  I had no idea my anxiety for flying would start way before I was even at the gate!  So I bought some food I didn't really want and I took my pill.  After a while, I started feeling much less stressed.  In fact, I started feeling downright sleepy.  Also, in fact, I kept nodding off while sitting at the gate.  I roused myself enough to get on the plane, but immediately started dozing off again.  Our plane couldn't take off on time because one of our flight attendants got sick and had to be replaced, but by the time we got into the air, I was going in and out of fuzzy consciousness.  I was never fully asleep, but I wasn't really awake either.  It was unpleasant. 

When we finally landed, I was still in a drugged slump, so I was really glad Steve finally got there to help me!  I mean, I was glad to see him in general, but the helping was nice too.  We stopped and got dinner  (I hadn't eaten much yet that day) and afterwards I crashed.  It was only after I woke up and thought about it that I realized why I was so tired.  The anti-anxiety pills make me sleepy sometimes, of course, but I had moved the ones I had in my purse into a packet where I keep Dramamine.  One of my Dramamine had been smushed, and so the powder from it had gotten onto my other pill mixing the medication together.  Nice.

Anyway, I was glad to be home, but I was genuinely sad to leave.  Barring my airport misadventure, I had the best time in Denver with Josh and I hope I can go back soon! Yay!