Early Morning Airport Friends

Airports are pretty eerie places at 3am. A place that is usually buzzing with rolling suitcases over tiled floors, squeaky carts and rushing travellers is somehow transformed to a quiet indoor desert.  

The night arrivals have all come and claimed their baggage and left; the morning flights aren't in yet; the ticket agents are all at home sleeping, and airport sleepers become exposed now that the waking folk have departed.

If I had been travelling with someone else, I would have definitely been one of those airplane sleepers.  But alas, I am in this alone, so I resorted to the next best solution to my current sleep-deprivation : Making early-morning airport friends. 

By the time I found out I wasn't going to make either of the night flights from Edmonton to Toronto, it was almost 2am. Since I had my name transferred to the 6:30 am flight,  if I got a hotel it would only be for 3 hours or so.  Bummer. That, and I'm worried that if I lie down, I might not wake up for 12 hours. So, I decided to stay up; power through the wee hours of the morning, and keep going strong until the 5:55 boarding time. I think I'm going to make it. That might be a premature assumption, since it's only 4:19, but thanks to my airport friends I was able to stay awake, have some good conversation and even learn some card games. Since I've been here since 10pm, I think I've heard every Christmas carol ever written.  Twice. But the best part is that I still enjoy it. My foot can't stop tapping to Sleigh Ride. 

Back to airport friends: I met one guy, probably in his late 60's/70's, who is travelling to Texas to see his girlfriend (adorable!). I also met Max, a Chinese student who is studying economics at U of A. Prior to that, I also met a grandmother who graciously shared her lotion with me since my hands were SO dry they were hurting; and a guy who is making a trip out to Bathurst, New Brunswick, to surprise (and propose to!) his girlfriend. I also met a man who had been robbed earlier today and was trying to make some phone calls to make his day a little better.  

Wow.  It's nice to have reminders of how lucky I am to be doing okay :) I hope it all works out for him; that's such a bummer...

Still, though, note to self: Going standby over the holidays is not such a good idea. In total, I've missed 3 flights already, and every one until after Christmas is booked solid.  I'm hoping to catch the 6:30am flight this morning to Toronto, then the 2:something one home to Kingston. I hate that I have to base my success in this situation on the misfortune of others -- I really do -- but if it's Saturday Dec 22nd and you're reading this, please chant with me:

Fingers crossed someone misses their flight so I can go home!

Until Next Time,
B.

P.S. I'm glad I brought the rest of my advent calendar with me. Good choice, Past Becky. Good choice!!