adventures of the seldom traveler

I hate to travel. I hate being alone. It makes perfect sense why I would hate to travel alone. It just doesn't make sense that anyone would want to travel alone when there is just so much going on for any one person to keep track of -- your stuff, gate changes... You can't just go use the bathroom while some is guarding your belongings. You can't just ask someone to grab you a drink while you save seats in the waiting area.

My company used to host its annual training in Vegas during the summers. These were the first times I would travel sorta alone. I say 'sorta' because when your whole company goes up at the same time, all the flights are booked together, you end up traveling with people you know -- even if you don't socialize with them the entire time. So pretty much, it means traveling alone.

Anyway, this year, the company decided to host it at home, and we didn't go to Vegas. I thought I was in the clear. But oddly enough, my dear husband (to be later referred to as "DH") was going to attend his training in Vegas. Flights were cheap enough that I would join him. Only problem being that we're going for budget while his work is going for contract. We would fly separately and meet up in Vegas. Uh oh, here I go again, traveling alone.

I'm pretty familiar with traveling. Though I hate to do it, I know the procedure, check-in online to avoid lines, go through TSA, blah blah blah. Just when you get to know the procedure, the airlines goes and changes everything up! I'll get to that in a bit.
Anyway, so I glance at my ticket, alright 34... that means I jump on the shuttle, head over to the overseas terminal, and wait for 2 hours. I'm starving and by the time I get to 34, there's no where to eat. There's a dinky little concession cart that sells chips and sandwiches. I guess that'll do. I buy 2 large liter waters (I get really thirsty), a chicken pesto sandwich, and classic lays. $18.81. Hahaha, you know, I think beverage companies have an agreement with the airlines. Don't allow liquids in the airport -- charge an arm and a leg to parched passengers. BTW, the sandwich had golden raisins in it. Fruit does not belong in food. Bleh!

I pull out my computer and as it loads up, I realize I'm sitting among middle aged people, a few younger individuals. This isn't quite the Vegas crowd I'm used to. In Hawaii, flights to Vegas are usually filled with geriatrics with yarn pompoms matching their outfits, large groups of younger folk ready for a week of fun, 50-somethings yapping loudly to other 50-somethings about high school days they will soon reminisce about at their 40th Class Reunion. A very different crowd than any of the people sitting around me. I check my ticket again. In tiny letters, I read "Gate 61". That's a joke, right? I'm at the wrong gate.

Anyway, I haul ass from one end of the overseas terminal back to the main airport and out to the opposite end of the Hawaiian Interisland terminal. That was a trek and a half. I finally get to the gate, passing by Starbucks, Lahaina Chicken Co., and Burger King -- all more desireable than the crappy raisin sandwich I ate earlier. Whatever. I ate, I should be happy about that. I pull out my computer again, and finally get settled into posting about this. I mean, how random is it that I never travel, yet everything possible goes wrong. Then the announcement.
"Hawaiian Airlines announces the following gate change Hawaiian Airlines flight 18 to Las Vegas will now depart from gate 31 at 2:45PM." DAMNIT! Seriously. I just came from there.

Throughout this whole ordeal, my sister's boyfriend (who happens to work here at the airport) sees me running from one terminal to the next, and back again. He's laughing at me as I walk through agriculture all over again, "Eh, You know where you going, or what?"

So now, I'm sitting at gate 31, hoping nothing else changes.

Who knew? Even when I'm wrong, I'm closer to being right! Bite me.


UPDATE 6/3/09: After the post, I got up to use the bathroom, to return and -- you guessed it, someone snagged my seat! I would have tried to hold it until the plane (I hate to pee on planes, or while in any moving vehicle for that matter, but at least you don't have to tote all your belongings with you and return to find someone occupying your space), but that wasn't possible seeing as how it was DELAYED to a 4:15PM departure. I was going to have to get up eventually. The flight wasn't all lollipops and sugar clouds either. Talk about worst flights. The turbulence was annoying: at some point I was completely lifted off my seat only to fall back into it uncomfortably. At least we landed safely, after 1AM with my luggage finally gliding out with the LAST of the bags half an hour later.