Long Trip Home

That is the trouble with flying: We always have to return to airports. Thank of how much fun flying would be if we didn't have to return to airports. ~Henry Mintzberg, Why I Hate Flying: Tales for the Tormented Traveler

Institute had barely ended before I was longing for the structure and efficiency of Teach For America again. It was smooth shuttling and MARTA-ing to the Atlanta airport from Tech, even extremely smooth security checkpoint-ing, and then it all fell apart. My flight home was first delayed by 30 minutes because the incoming flight from Charlotte was late and was landing at a different gate. The minutes ticked by slowly. The flight was delayed another hour. We boarded the plane around 9:20 p.m. Once on, we were set to go... until the lightning started flashing. And we were told we were about 25th in line on the runway. I did the in-flight magazine crossword puzzle. And then the Sudokus. And then I read the article on Mad Men, a show I don't even watch. And then I drifted in and out of consciousness. And still we hadn't taken off.

Now, I'm not blaming Delta or the airport for the weather. But if TFA had been running the show, someone would have planned more purposefully and not rushed us all onto the plane only to have us sit on the tarmac for over an hour. No efficient execution whatsoever. If I'd known that I wouldn't be arriving home until past midnight, I would've gotten food during that wasted time! Airlines should know better than to get between a girl and her meals.

In any case, I have made it home safely, and I am gearing up to make the official move to Memphis in a few days. In between now and then, I will take my brother to tennis camp and maybe a movie or two, hang out with old friends, pack a little more, solidify housing, and enjoy what PA has to offer. Tomorrow: dim sum in Chinatown and my first Phillies game.