Between Gates and Time Zones

3:13 PM

Hmm, the plane isn’t going to the gate I had in mind. Instead, it taxis all the way to a different part of the airport. Then an announcement comes that we need to take a bus — but the bus is delayed. We wait 30 minutes for the first one. At the bottom of the aircraft stairs, the stewardess tells me to wait.

It’s now 2:40 PM and my flight to Seattle departs at 3:20 PM. I start to worry. Finally, the second bus arrives and I jump on. The bus drives across the entire airport and drops us off somewhere else.

I need to focus and pick up the pace. Where do I need to go? I spot a sign for the US — there’s a separate checkpoint. I run toward it and have my boarding pass scanned.

We push our way through the forced walking lanes, surrounded by other irritated travelers dealing with the same mess. We break through the barriers and head straight for security.

3:19 PM

I’m allowed to join the line, but it’s taking too long, so I skip it.

The customs officer asks what I’m going to do in the US. Here we go again.
“I’m going to hike the PCT.”
“Pacific Coast Trail?”
“No, the Pacific Crest Trail!”
“Aha, ok. And how long are you staying in the US?”
“Five months.”
“Mmm, have you saved some money?”
“Yes, enough to walk the whole trail.”
“What’s your work?”
“I’m the owner of a big IT company.” 😜
“Ok, boarding pass and passport, please.”

Phew. I’m through. I sprint across the departure hall, scanning for any hint of my gate. Fully alert, I catch sight of a gate in the corner of my eye — almost closed.

I hand over my boarding pass and realize I’ve found the right gate straight away. I run through the corridors and board last, stepping into a completely full plane just in time to sit down.

7:00 PM

Two minutes later, I’m back in the air — this time for ten hours. Luckily, the seats are comfortable and there are seatback screens.

I ask for headphones so I can plug them in, but the sound is so awful and distorted that I give up on watching a movie altogether.

At 5:00 PM (UK time), I’m the first to receive a meal because I selected vegetarian. Pasta with eggplant in a small container wrapped in cardboard. A small bowl of red cabbage salad, a lemon mousse, and a cup of water. Oh yeah, and a little toast with butter — but I wasn’t in the mood for that.