The flight to Charlotte was uneventful. The small children strategically placed around me didn't start screaming until after I'd turned my iPod on, and the combination of the Scissor Sisters and the roar of the plane drowned them out fairly well. I got an aisle seat, which ultimately gave me the most room, at the expense of the breathtaking vistas offered by the airplane windows. So I spent most of the flight with my nose buried in the Russian military history book I got for Christmas. I feel horrible for not remembering who exactly got that for me, so here's a blanket thank-you to the Kenton clan.
Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is really nice. Tastefully decorated, with some nice food options and a layout that makes sense (although that may just be me expressing deep gratitude at not having a layover in [swear word] Atlanta). Tuesday is evidently a quiet day for international travel; down at my end of the concourse, there are maybe a few dozen people sitting in the waiting area between a couple of gates, although I'm sure it'll get busier as boarding time approaches. At this point I'm getting ready to actually leave the country, so I hear snatches of English and German as the people around me converse quietly. A young woman behind me is going home on this flight, and conversing in German with the old American man sitting next to her.
I made a few calls from a payphone before settling in at my gate; if I called you, congratulations, you're special. :) I don't have an infinite supply of change, though, much as it seems like I do, so I can't call everybody, sadly. I'm not sure why I'm sitting in this waiting area; I'm about to be sitting for several hours, in close quarters. I should be up walking around. But, of course, this is an airport and aimless wandering tends to draw the wrong kind of attention.
I'm typing this post up in Notepad as I wait through the endless advertisements that are the price one pays for free airport wifi. Once I got off the plane from Orlando, I ducked into the nearest bathroom, intending to freshen up a little--for my sake as well as that of the people I'll be sitting with. I wet my hair and combed it, reapplied deodorant, and went to brush my teeth, only to find that I'd somehow mislaid the little tube of toothpaste I bought. I swore profusely inside my head, not wanting to upset the bathroom attendant (the sweetest lady! you are truly unshakable if you can be so happy cleaning and restocking airport bathrooms for a living). At least I have some Altoids.
QUICK STATUS:
Headcold: Still doing OK. I haven't burst into tears, yet, either!
Excite-O-Meter: 5/10. Omigod this is the furthest I have ever been from home by myself and I'm about to go a whole hell of a lot further. The feeling of missing everyone is stronger now; in the lobby at MCO, it was mostly boredom at having no one around to talk to. Now I miss people because it's really happening. I'm leaving, and I won't see anyone I know until May. May seems a long way off right about now.
As an afterthought, the woman across from me has a baby with her, and the baby's shoes are just the most adorable baby shoes I've ever seen. They're pink, with little purple butterflies embroidered on them! Precious!
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