I have this pattern of anxiety whenever
we pack for any sort of trip, but the longer the trip... the worse my
anxiety. I perpetually feel as though I've forgotten something
vital, and I spent the final half hour before leaving home going over
bags, opening and double checking, and then re-checking all the doors
and windows in the house, and then wait... did I remember to pack my
sandals? My anxiety was eased a bit on the prep for this trip as I
could remind myself that we were not leaving the country – as
exotic as the plants and weather might be in Hawaii, it is another
state. I told myself “it'll be more like Santa Cruz”, (where I
used to live) “just the other side of the water.” Knowing that a
Safeway and Longs Drugs were both within walking distance of the
condo, I reminded myself that if we forgot anything, we would likely
be able to find it easily enough at our destination.
To spite all this, I was still in
scramble mode with the totally easy-going shuttle driver arrived to
pick us up. (I believe they might be trained to deal with anxious
passengers?) 20 minutes after our scheduled pick-up time, we were
finally on the road with myself in the front seat trying to reassure
myself that I really did lock everything. Twice. Though traffic, a
new system of bag check-in, airport security (my first time through
the fancy transporter looking machine!) and after re-checking my bags
to reassure myself that I didn't forget my camera... I finally
breathed a sigh of relief.
The flight was interesting. D was able
to upgrade us to first class with our saved-up credit card miles. D
and G sat together and I sat in the aisle seat across from them. For
the longest time I thought I'd have the seat next to me empty, but
the airline bumped a couple up to first class and just before the
plane took off a pleasant gentleman took the seat beside me. I
figured this wouldn't be so bad, however he started the conversation
with “I made myself sick, but I don't think I have anything that is
contagious.”
I can't begin to describe the Niles
Crane level of paranoia I've had regarding germs leading up to this
trip. G had a cold start 10 days prior to our departure, and we
spent a whole week shoving herbal teas down her throat, insisting on
steamy showers to clear congestion that wasn't even there yet, and
didn't touch doorknobs without Clorox wipes in hand. We killed off
her cold without spreading it. Then the day before the trip the news
warned us of another case of measles in our state, listing the
airport as a possible point of contact, so I did not touch one
surface with my bare hands through the entire airport. And now, in
the midst of a measles outbreak, and when airplanes already make me
feel like I have a sinus infection just from the air pressure... I'm
seated in a flying tin can of recirculated air next to Sniffles who
starts out by saying “I don't think I'm contagious”??
Apparently he was over on the mainland
for a ski trip and he spent a day going from a hot spring to a
freezing river... back and forth, back and forth, and he thinks that
might have caused him to have cold-like symptoms. (ya think?)
Thankfully he knocked himself out drinking wine and slept with his
head leaned up against the window for almost all of the flight. I
kept myself occupied leaning towards the aisle watching movies on the
little digital players they gave us on the plane. After the 6.5 hour
flight, my bad hip was a little sore from sitting for so long, but I
exited the plane otherwise unscathed. I didn't even have very much
sinus pain (probably because I skipped the wine and drank hot tea for
the duration of the flight. Note to self: I don't care if the wine
is free in first class, I'm better off no dehydrating myself with
alcohol on flights)
The movies helped me keep my mind off
of imagining the intro to the TV show “Lost” and the fact that
our flight number was 815. Then Sniffles woke up, looked out the
window, and said “Huh... normally the plane approaches from the
other angle”. Dude. SHUT UP. But we landed safely nevertheless,
and as I exited the plane I was immediately struck by the feel of the
air – heavy and moist, but not oppressively warm. My head was
grateful to be out of the dry airplane air.
After finding the rental car shuttles,
we took the short drive up the road and pulled straight into the
condo complex. We got a little turned around trying to find the
right elevator, but after hauling our bags up and down a few
unnecessary hallways we figured out the best route and finally,
around midnight, stumbled into the condo.
I, of course, immediately double
checked all my luggage to make sure I didn't somehow magically leave
anything behind in any shuttles, airplanes, or rental car lobbies.
True to my nature, I packed more camera
gear than clothing.
The three sealed pouches are my clothes... everything else is camera gear. Priorities.
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