on airports and flying

the truth is, I actually love traveling by air.

friday, I had to fly up to New Hampshire for the day, for work. I arrived at the airport an hour and a half before my flight left. I was already checked in, already had my boarding pass. I like to be organized about these things.

the security line was practically non-existant. I tossed my bag on the belt and plopped my boots in a bin. walked through the metal detector [no body scanners in Philly yet] and out the other side. check the monitor to confirm the gate and no delays. stop to grab a bagel and coffee, a little snack for the flight, and proceed to the gate.

I love people watching in airports. walking past all the gates, seeing the people, the destinations. I like guessing people's stories. the businessman flying to Boston for the day. the family headed to Orlando to escape the chill and experience a little Disney magic. the wife on her cell phone with her husband, finally able to get home to Charlotte after 2 days of snow delays and canceled flights.

I had an hour before boarding time, thanks to quick traffic and no security line. not a problem, since I also had a book. some quiet time alone with a cup of coffee to read... is actually a real pleasure for me. too often, when I am at home, I feel like I should be doing something "productive" rather than sitting and reading all afternoon. part of the problem is that I have trouble starting and stopping when I read a good book. I like to just sit and read from cover to cover. I'm a quick reader, but it still means 4-8 hours of time.

so, waiting for and traveling by plane, are two times I love. because it's basically uninterrupted reading time. I've been saving one of the books I got for Christmas, because I knew this trip was coming. I made it most of the way through during the trip there and back, and finished it up yesterday morning.

and now? I've temporarily been sucked into an internet black hole, while attempting to clean and do laundry. and I'm trying hard to continue productivity, and not be too tempted to pick up the next book in the series and keep reading.

maybe after dinner, while I finish laundry...