Travel to Korea - Observations and Expectations.
I began the day yesterday with the urgency that circles the mind when early morning travel is bestowed on me.
Of course I was wide awake an hour before the alarm went off and in fact I was dressed, packed and ready by 4.30 am, the set alarm time. So not wanting to waste ‘good time’ I was waiting in the dark for the shuttle with a group of business men talking in low tones about the weather and how busy their lives were.
Each one championing their time over the other, standing with hands in pockets and shifting their feet like penguins on ice. The shuttle arrived and each man postured for a position in the van, quoting their departure time and looking at my extensive luggage as if I was an oddity to the race.
The flight was delayed by 30 minutes and I was concerned that I would miss my connection in Dallas but of course there is nothing that one can do under the circumstances, and so I relaxed into the seat and began a new drawing in my sketchbook. I had country music in my ears and I was in the world of ‘Pam’
Business class didn’t even allow a breakfast at that time, so I drank coffee that tasted like diluted bitter allows and thought to myself that I was sure I could make a better cup of coffee even though it was 6.00 am.
On arrival in Dallas, I knew I had to have flying feet and I took off at a pace, up the escalators that rise to a dizzying height and onto the train to ‘D’ terminal. Down the slope of yet more escalators to find the plane was boarding…. but No, this wasn’t my flight. D33 is going to Atlanta, not Seoul.
Maybe it's the next gate. I ran back and forth. No, this is the one.
Like all clever women, I asked an assistant. No Ma'am that plane has been delayed to 1.45, sigh, check again and with the wisdom of a Mother who lives the life of time management. I went into the airline club and found a seat with an electricity outlet, a table to work on and the availability of coffee and bagels.
I blessed the extra time and had a massage and had a broken nail repaired and waited in comfort until I needed to leave.
The Seoul connection gate was packed with people re-assigning onward travel but of course I had my seat and I found myself next to a window in a seat configuration that I knew would be difficult to move about.
My seat buddy, was a young male who adjusted his seat to the reclining position even before take off. On 3 occasions in the 15 hour flight I needed the restroom and I had a triathlon of climbing over his legs each time I needed to get out. My legs are short and I had to hoist myself on the seat in front and pick up my right leg with my hand and swing it over his prostrate body. At least he could sit up to allow me to move… Nup. So I dragged my left leg unceremoniously over this strangers mid section and fell into the aisle with a less than delicate stance.
Of course you have to close the shutters on the window. and I knew there was going to be wonderful scenery. Every now and then I opened them and this is what I saw.
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