My baby bird has flown the nest for the rest of the month. I'm waiting up for the phone call I was promised when she lands in Portland and meets Emily and her mom at baggage claim.
On the drive there I was answering questions about how you use the seat as a flotation device, what cues the oxygen masks to fall out of the overhead compartment, and how (un)realisticly different television shows and movies have depicted plane crashes and odds of survival.
It's not that she hasn't flown before. But she's never flown alone.
Earlier in the day we discovered her checked bag weighed 51 pounds. So we pulled out the other, smaller matching suitcase and decided it was a good thing her ticket price included two checked bags. Once we got to the airport, we hoisted both onto the counter to check her in and the agent printed me a gate pass to go through security and wait with her at the gate. This was a good thing since we were there quite early.
Security was very short, although they've gone to entirely the full-body scans when the lines aren't bad, which means even if you are wearing nothing but cotton, these things pepper your scan with little squares that require the TSA agent to pat (on the top of my head? really?!?)
The agent checking passes had exactly two jokes and one ladies compliment that he recycled loudly enough for me to give him a near eye-roll when he told me, as he had done the woman before me, my birthdate couldn't possibly be right, it had to be a decade off. Dude, get better material and swap it up some.
Once we'd been patted all over, we tucked her laptop back into her backpack, pulled the shoes on, and headed for gate A40 and flight 797 to Portland.
We discovered her plane was already at the gate and she'd scored the Wolf tailed Frontier plane (second only to the Grizzly bear, although I am partial to the wise-cracking rabbit).
Speaking of, as we were pulling in to the parking lot, a bunny hopped across our path in the road, which led to looking up "rabbit omens" at the gate. Not kidding, this was one jittery flyer I was sending off, even if she was playing it cool around everyone else. We joked and people watched and took silly pictures together.
Once the business class was boarded, they invited anyone with nothing to put in the overhead compartments to board next, which I thought was smart. Sammi headed down the ramp and I walked back around to the windows where I could better see her side of the plane, which was at the closest gate, conveniently. She was in 5A but I was pretty sure the windows didn't match up just right.
After just a minute, though, I saw her (my) arm movement that sweeps the hair out of her face go past one of the windows I was watching. I texted "I see you!" and a minute later, there was her face smiling at me and waving, first window inside the "R" on the plane (8th window).
I stood there for the next 20 minutes watching the goings on around the plane, seeing Sam keep sweeping her hair out of her face, and keep checking to see if I was still there, standing as close as I could, before takeoff. When the plane backed out, I got one more wave and then she was gone.
I let myself have one of those drives home in the dark where you find yourself crying and smiling in the same moment.
I will miss you terribly, my mini-me. Have a wonderful trip. Actually use the camera I sent with you, please. You will get to be my age and treasure both the memories and the pictures and the story of your first solo flight. The first, undoubtedly, of many amazing adventures. Soak it all in. And throw me a smile and a wave when you can. :)
On the drive there I was answering questions about how you use the seat as a flotation device, what cues the oxygen masks to fall out of the overhead compartment, and how (un)realisticly different television shows and movies have depicted plane crashes and odds of survival.
It's not that she hasn't flown before. But she's never flown alone.
Earlier in the day we discovered her checked bag weighed 51 pounds. So we pulled out the other, smaller matching suitcase and decided it was a good thing her ticket price included two checked bags. Once we got to the airport, we hoisted both onto the counter to check her in and the agent printed me a gate pass to go through security and wait with her at the gate. This was a good thing since we were there quite early.
Security was very short, although they've gone to entirely the full-body scans when the lines aren't bad, which means even if you are wearing nothing but cotton, these things pepper your scan with little squares that require the TSA agent to pat (on the top of my head? really?!?)
The agent checking passes had exactly two jokes and one ladies compliment that he recycled loudly enough for me to give him a near eye-roll when he told me, as he had done the woman before me, my birthdate couldn't possibly be right, it had to be a decade off. Dude, get better material and swap it up some.
Once we'd been patted all over, we tucked her laptop back into her backpack, pulled the shoes on, and headed for gate A40 and flight 797 to Portland.
We discovered her plane was already at the gate and she'd scored the Wolf tailed Frontier plane (second only to the Grizzly bear, although I am partial to the wise-cracking rabbit).
Speaking of, as we were pulling in to the parking lot, a bunny hopped across our path in the road, which led to looking up "rabbit omens" at the gate. Not kidding, this was one jittery flyer I was sending off, even if she was playing it cool around everyone else. We joked and people watched and took silly pictures together.
Once the business class was boarded, they invited anyone with nothing to put in the overhead compartments to board next, which I thought was smart. Sammi headed down the ramp and I walked back around to the windows where I could better see her side of the plane, which was at the closest gate, conveniently. She was in 5A but I was pretty sure the windows didn't match up just right.
After just a minute, though, I saw her (my) arm movement that sweeps the hair out of her face go past one of the windows I was watching. I texted "I see you!" and a minute later, there was her face smiling at me and waving, first window inside the "R" on the plane (8th window).
I stood there for the next 20 minutes watching the goings on around the plane, seeing Sam keep sweeping her hair out of her face, and keep checking to see if I was still there, standing as close as I could, before takeoff. When the plane backed out, I got one more wave and then she was gone.
I let myself have one of those drives home in the dark where you find yourself crying and smiling in the same moment.
I will miss you terribly, my mini-me. Have a wonderful trip. Actually use the camera I sent with you, please. You will get to be my age and treasure both the memories and the pictures and the story of your first solo flight. The first, undoubtedly, of many amazing adventures. Soak it all in. And throw me a smile and a wave when you can. :)
0 comments:
Post a Comment