Traveling Thoughts...

Just a few thoughts as I'm biding my time at the Washington Dulles airport hoping to get on the 955pm flight to Nashville:

1) The travel day started out great with my first time flying Swiss Air from Venice to Zurich.  In fact, I may have found a new favorite airline as they give you two squares of Swiss chocolate when you get on the plane!!  Ha, what a genious marketing idea...won me over!  And to even make it better when I was waiting in Zurich for my next flight there was a massive marketing poster (that I took a picture of...but don't have the energy to bother uploading it to the blog right now) and it said: "Swiss chocoloate on every flight.  Don't you just love cliches?"  It made me chuckle becauase I had already decided I loved the airline for that reason alone!

2) It's remarkable the difference in efficiency, work ethic, and security between Italy and Switzerland.  Two examples:  As we were unloading the plane there was a bus awaiting us...we hopped on the bus and before the bus was jam packed, crowded, and people pushing...they closed the doors and transported us to the terminal.  AND there was already a second bus waiting at the plane to transport the rest of the passengers...what a novel thought.  This does not happen in Italy.  Period.  And second, as I was passing through security (at least 3 checkpoints) I was stopped, asked specific questions about my bags, my electronics, and I was even asked for my documentation to prove I am allowed to live in Italy.  I always travel with it, but have only been asked for it one other time while traveling into the UK.  On the other hand, Taylor traveled to Casablanca, Morocco last year and when he re-entered Italy through Rome...coming from NORTHERN AFRICA people, NORTHERN AFRICA, they sent him right through without even checking his passport.  Yeah.

3)  I clearly have the worst travel luck ever.  My flight from Zurich to Washington was delayed 3 hours therefore I missed my connecting flight to Nashville.  The next flight is at 955pm tonight, of course, it's booked.  But I'm currently on stand by and I am the 4th on the list.  Two ahead of me have been confirmed...fingers crossed two more seats are open.  I mean really, who is traveling to Nashville at 955pm at night?

4)  If I didn't love the States for so many reasons and firmly believe it is the greatest country in the world, I would have been quite turned off if I was entering the US of A for the first time through Washington Dulles airport.  We walked about a half a mile through a little corridor big enough for two people to walk side by side while exiting the plane to arrive in customs.  From there we collected bags, and re-checked bags, and waited in line to go through security AGAIN.  After waiting for 35 minutes in line and having the TSA agents obnoxiously shouting, "Remove shoes, jackets, sweat shirts, scarves, watches, belts, computers, electronics, all items from your pockets...let's go people...you're holding up the line...let's go!!!"  Which by the way, I've only had to remove my shoes at one security checkpoint in all my travels through Europe and it was going into the UK, Ireland I think.  No one is quite as thorough as the States.  They didn't allow any Duty Free liquids (wines, etc) purchased AFTER the security checkpoint at any overseas airport to be taken in carry on.  Which is a huge miscommunication between airports...why sell that stuff past the security checkpoints if it's not allowed to be in carry ons once you enter the States?  And to top it all off, a child is standing in front of me and pukes in a security bin as his mom is holding it for him.  Welcome to America, folks!

5)  On the plus side I am utilizing the airport's free Wi-Fi, props for that, and I even took advantage of the Five Guys that is located next door.  Taylor raves about the place and I think I've had it once, and I will confirm it was pretty darn good.  And the other positive that I am so very thankful for is my wonderful friends who are willing to help me out when I'm stranded in airports around the world.  A big thank you to Becca Johnson and Rebecca Clinton for both offering to come pick me up at the airport if I get stuck tonight, I am lucky to have friends so generous to offer to do this.  I hope I will not have to take them up on the offer, but it is comforting to know I have the option.  So thank you.

Alright...that's all for now...I'm still awaiting confirmation of a seat, one person in front of me...currently listing 6 seats available for people who have not checked in...20 minutes til boarding.  Hopefully I'm Nashville bound tonight!

Ciao!