9/15/14
Aboard DL 477, En route BCN-JFK
After I closed last night, I came to a sense of clarity. It was a sort of “all is well” moment. I would be back to normal life within 24
hours, and I could deal with needed to be dealt with, rather than stressing
over the things that I could not change.
Writing about it helped, as did talking it out. I was pretty much fully packed, never really
having unpacked in the first place. I
knew that I needed to set an alarm as a fail-safe, and I opted for 6 hours
later. It would give me just enough time
to eat quickly, dress, and head straight to the airport in time for my 10:40 AM
flight. Only, there was one
problem. That was tight timing, and my
flight was at 10:25 AM, not 10:40 AM. I
did not realize that at the time. I woke
up naturally, of course, at 7:20 AM and headed down to breakfast. This was one of those hotels where you need
to leave your keycard in the slot to power the electricity. As I was walking out, still in a bit of a
daze, I felt a keycard in my pants pocket.
That’s funny. I didn’t remember
having two keys or taking out a second key.
I didn’t give it much thought.
My
parents stayed at this hotel last summer, and my mother, not exactly a big
breakfast eater, raved about the quality of the breakfast. There were three rooms, but only one of them
mattered. There was a huge selection of
cold cuts, breads, pastries, and fruits.
I got myself a plate and ordered a coffee. I wanted to be in and out in about 15
minutes, but the coffee took forever, messing up my whole schedule. I knew that I could not enjoy my breakfast
without coffee. I slowly pecked at the
cold cuts while I waited for the coffee.
Eventually, it came, and I only had a few bites left. I was pissed.
I then went for the hot food, a miserly selection, one small table. I then went for the desserts, getting a
little of everything. That was
excellent. All in all, I was very disappointed
by the breakfast, especially after the glowing review my parents had given
it. Nothing could ever compare to that
amazing breakfast my first morning in the Black Forest.
Reader, recall that keycard? I went to my room, only to discover that it
was the keycard from Andorra la Vella.
Fuck! I was locked out. I went down for a new keycard, and they just
asked my room number. I could have
gotten the key for any room. I quickly
showered, dressed, and gotten out of there, no time now to stop at
Parliament. It was 8:25 PM, and I
figured that it was 15 minutes to the airport, which would allow me to arrive
two hours before my 10:40 AM flight. I
was wrong on two accounts. First, my GPS
said it was 37 minutes to the airport.
Second, my flight was at 10:25 AM.
Fuck! There was nothing to be
done. Stuck in traffic, I knew this was
still the quickest way to get to the airport.
I think I might have even passed Parliament on the way.
Anyway, my GPS was all wrong, trying to take
me to the wrong terminal, and I got to airport at 8:50 AM, already having
checked in through my phone at a red light.
I was good on time, and I made my way through the airport, opting not to
stop for more cigars or liquor at duty-free.
I was short on time, and I didn’t want to risk anything. An hour later, I was asleep in my seat,
awaiting take-off. I slept some more and
then woke up around 8 AM New York time.
I wrote my Philosophy Short Writing Assignment and then proceeded to
write this entry. I still have three
hours on my battery and two hours up in the air, so I suppose that I will close
and write some proposals.
New York, New York
There is a funny thing about the way you remember things. Emotions and worries are fleeting, but
memories last forever. Whenever I look
back on a trip, whatever stress I felt in executing the trip is always gone by
the time I get back to New York. That
was how I felt walking through Grand Central this afternoon. My stress was gone. I had enough cigars to last me the rest of
the year. I was just happy. I thought back fondly how wonderful of a trip
it was. I didn’t worry about my
future. About a week ago, I was struck
by a singular thought. It is funny how
you can be struck by such a thought that sticks with you and forces its way
into your life. Descartes would call it
a “natural light,” a thought that comes from no apparent source, and he uses
that as the means by which he builds his epistemological foundations.
My philosophy is not about epistemology. It is about happiness. Six months ago, I was struck by one of those
singular thoughts, and it was a thought that changed my life. A week ago, the thought was, “Maybe if I
stopped dwelling on the past and worrying about the future, I would start to
enjoy the present more.” I spent most of
this trip doing both. By the time I got
back to New York, I started acting on that thought. I decided to live in the present, to enjoy
life as it comes, rather than to regret what could have been or worry about
could become. Granted, that is a
dangerous path, and I am not about to devolve into a hedonist, but that doesn’t
mean I cannot simply “seize the day.”
Once I adapted that mindset, I looked back on my trip with a different
view, and I realized that it was a great trip.
Usually with Global Entry, they just wave you right through, but the
officer had some questions for me this time.
“What did you bring back from?”
That is not a typo. He continued,
“Any food, alcohol, cigarettes?” I
didn’t have any. He waved me
through. Reader, if you travel
internationally and do not have Global Entry, get it. It will save you at least 30 minutes every
time you fly internationally. The line
was so long, and I was able to walk past the entire line. It is amazing. Not wanting to shell out for a cab, I took
the bus back to Grand Central. There was
traffic, but I didn’t care. Just like
the last time I took the bus, I got the back two rows to myself, put the seat
in front of me down, and used that seat back as a foot rest. It was as comfortable as any cab, and I
worked pretty much the whole bus ride.
There were outlets, too, which cabs don’t have.
I first stopped at the cigar store, and I
knew that Jimmy would be back, too, having been in Toulouse, less than two
hundred kilometers away from me. He
brought back even more cigars than, and his uncle was shipping him another
200. We would be doing a lot of trading
tomorrow. Charles asked for his gift,
and I produced it from my bag. I then
went to the office where everyone was eagerly awaiting their gifts. I was right, it was much better handpicking
the gifts for a few people than buying the random bag of crap.
It was a productive day at the office, and
realized that I had not eaten since 1 AM New York time. I had a little bit ice cream, blueberries,
and two quest bars. At 6 PM, I made my
burrito and headed to the cigar store, where I opted for a My Father instead of
a Cuban. I biked home and proceeded to
write this entry, which I will now close so that I can pass out. It’s like 2 AM in Barcelona right now. Next stop: Salt Lake City and Idaho to get
that last state of the Lower 48.
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