Our alarm went off at 5:15. We picked that time to get us to the airport in time for my flight. (Ironically, it turned out that my flight was delayed, so in retrospect we could have slept a little later.) Since we had packed the day before, our morning was simple: shower, dress, settle the bill, and leave. We walked five minutes or so to a station where we could catch the RER-B to the airport. Even that early, the train was surprisingly full; though, in fairness, most of the other riders looked like they were headed towards very working-class jobs, and got off before we did.
I carried Marie's suitcase and she carried mine, because—like Debbie in Scotland*—Marie had packed significantly more than I had, so her suitcase was significantly heavier. #chivalry
We checked in, with a certain amount of confusion over who belonged in which line. (Each of us had a ticket with one airline, cross-listed with multiple others. Which to use?) Then we wanted breakfast and coffee. Remembering the model of most American airports, I suggested the options would be a lot better on the other side of the security gate. So we went through. The AI responsible for facial scanning refused to recognize me, so I was sent through a different line to be scanned by a human being.
But as soon as we were through Security, we had to separate: her to her gate, and I to mine. So we couldn't have breakfast together after all. (Oops!) We embraced, kissed thoroughly, and wished each other a safe flight. And then we parted.
From there, the trip went more or less according to plan:
- I got breakfast and coffee.
- I got my seat assignments (changed from check-in, because we had a different plane with a different configuration of seats).
- I got selected for a random security check (but nothing alarmed them).
- I dozed lightly on my trip from Paris to my first port of entry into the United States. I think I also watched a movie, but I can't remember which one.
- I entered the country smoothly enough. (They have improved the process significantly from even a couple of years ago.)
- On the next leg of my trip, I slept deeply and pretty much continuously, from wheels up to wheels down.
- When I landed the second time, I got a large coffee and my luggage. I took the shuttle bus to the parking lot where my car was waiting.
- By this time my allergies had kicked in again, for the first time since I left the United States. So I was coughing and sniffling. People avoided me on the shuttle bus until it was so full they had no choice but to sit near me.
- By 9:30pm Local Time, I arrived home, back in my apartment, safe and sound.
It was a long, long day. But it was so programmatic that it didn't feel bad, or no more than long.
In the end, I got back safe and sound.
After this, I'll try to tack on a few essays about discussions I had with Marie, or about thoughts I had along the way.
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* I can't find any post about Scotland where I explain this, but oh, my heavens! By any normal way of thinking, Debbie seriously overpacked. The good side was that whenever we needed something unexpected, she had it. But carrying that weight in the meantime …!
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