The other day I counted the number of flights we will be taken on our 2024 Escape from the Election Adventure. I broke flights into legs because each leg brings its own adventure.
The number is 12.
Seven hours after leaving home we have finished our first leg.
The fault was our own. We arrived at PHL more than three hours early. After waltzing through the airport and hiking to the far back gate in Terminal D, we were still there three hours before our two hour leg to Atlanta.
I took an hour-long stroll from D to F, and back to A. I was reminded just how much I love airports. No, I mean that seriously. On this Wednesday morning, PHL had more people working at the airport than traveling. Airports remind me of the best of Main Street USA. There are bookstores in each terminal, dining ranging from take out to sit down, shopping ranging from tacky souvenir shops selling $20 sweatshirts to Chico and Brooks Brothers.
There is public art on the walls. A relaxation spa. A cozy spot with rocking chairs to sit and relax. A mini museum dedicated to the history of the airport dating back to when it was called the Benjamin Franklin Airport.
The coolest thing I saw was a place where you can push a button to receive a story. I took a couple so I'd have some extra reading material. I was only able to take one book, but I have others lined up on my phone. When I finish the book, I'll pass it on to someone else.
It could be the middle of the afternoon or the middle of the night, the florescent lightning won't tell you.
As I sit here in ATL waiting for the next leg of the trip I am facing a Spanx, Pandora, and a currency exchange office. There is a food court with options ranging from Nathan's Hot Dogs, McDonald's, and Arby's to TGI Fridays and a sushi and wine bar. In-between is a counter selling healthier, heartier fares and a vending machine selling salads in jars and a standalone Boar's Head sandwich shop a step above a vending machine, yet below a counter. The salad jars were actually in Philadelphia. Now that I'm two hours away I'm longing for it.
Across from us sit two women heading from Alabama to Atlanta to LAX to Sydney. We'll be with them a while. They are taking a cruise from Australia to New Zealand cities. Sounds like there are no stops in Australia. They are going a few days early, so I'm not sure if their cruise leaves from Sydney or someplace else. What is standing out to me is they opted to fly from Alabama to Atlanta (a 36-minute flight) and have a 4-hour layover rather than drive the 2+ hours to Atlanta because they hate driving in Atlanta.
May we nap on the ATL to LAX leg since we know they won't be feeding us. Since it is 4 pm and we ate hearty homemade sandwiches on the last flight, we are not hungry now.
Almost time to board.
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