Soggy burger...

At the half hour point it had already felt like an entire day of waiting.   

The constant comings and goings of individuals, groups, families and who knows who else in various stages of frantically weaving their way thought the other portions of the crown who tended to wander aimlessly along.  For a location that is entirely built around the idea and practical implementation of schedules, there is always an inordinate number of people who seem completely oblivious to the passage of time.  Perhaps their wait is so long as to render the mundane, minute to minute schedule that most travelers are on to be insignificant. 

There are always those people who are the “seasoned travelers.”  They stride through the airport with a sense of purpose and determination that is impossible to miss.  While most travelers spend half their time looking down at their tickets to somehow reassure themselves that they are at the right gate or that they have the correct departure time.  Like it would change somehow.  Not the seasoned traveler.  They often never need to even look at their boarding pass after clearing security as they have an innate feel for where all the planes are organized throughout the terminal.  More often than not they have already been on the particular flight several times, know a crew member or two, figured just the right way to talk to the gate clerk to secure the exit row window seat. They are to be envied in a way and pitied in another.  They are much like someone who is very good in a pie eating contest striving for the first prize which is… more pie.

Most airports are remarkably uncomfortable places, likely by design.  Most, not all, offer a splendid array of mediocre food served by cranky people with nothing but plastic silverware.  But at least it is overpriced as well.  You never see seasoned traveler at any of the main eating establishments.  Every once in a while, you will find them at the trendy wine bar that has only 12 seats (they of course knew how to secure one immediately upon arriving (and it already had their favorite chardonnay waiting for them.)  Meanwhile if you must eat, the only available seats will be at the scaled back version of the Chili’s and then it will be a center seat next to the family of 7 sitting at a table for 4.  Don’t worry because the $20 burger and fries will manage to be cold, dry and soggy all at the same time.  Your Coke refill will be brought out right after you get up to finally see that your flight has been delayed yet again (of course to check that you needed to relinquish your oh so cozy seat at the Chili’s with the now fresh Coke at it and there is no possible way it will ever be available again on this trip.  That’s ok because the middle seat, with no armrests, awaits for yet another hour until the next delay in your flight (preceded by two gate changes (one of which they bothered announcing.)

At an hour, it must have been half a week…