Spring Break has finally come, and while I wish I could say something creative like, "it just crept up behind me," it didn't. Spring Break has been LONG overdue, and I'd totally be lying if I didn't admit to counting down the hours until it started.
My sister, roommate and I set out for our four-hour road trip to the airport, but it soon became a six-hour experience, all thanks to standstill-traffic in Southern Oklahoma. The time constraint was already poking at my anxiety, let alone the fact that I was still worried that when I picked up my suitcase to be checked, it would weigh in at 50.0001 pounds.
I cleared the suitcase debacle (45 pounds EVEN!). We moved on to everyone's favorite part of traveling via air: TSA. It seems like no matter how friendly or how big you smile, the agents sitting behind the podium are too caught up in the fact that they are 13 hours into a five-hour shift and need coffee ASAP.
My worry and paranoia sped up, and I rush to kick my crocs off my feet, take my sweatshirt off and make sure that my laptop is COMPLETELY separate from everything else I own going through the scanner. Oh, and don't forget violently ripping my apple watch off as I walk towards the body-scanner because I had forgotten to take it off in the first place.
I walked through to get scanned, and as if the puff of air and spinning magnets aren't scary enough, when I step out, a woman proclaims that she must pat down my ponytail.
Fine, but it's the only one I packed, so don't break it, lady.
Apparently (as suspected), I had nothing illegal hidden in my hair and was free to retrieve my belongings from the plastic buckets that smash together as they exit the machine.
Back to panic-mode, I get my crocs back on, throw my laptop back in my backpack, find my phone and boarding pass and secure my watch back on. And I can't forget to move out of the way so everyone behind me doesn't get impatient. I make sure to look down at my watch and realize I now have an hour until boarding and can calmly make my way to the terminal.
Ahhhhh, sweet relief: let Spring Break begin!
