Flying

I've been in Spain for almost a week, though it feels like it has been longer (in a good way). I now have an excuse to write because I have homework to put off doing/have a reliable source of internet. For now I'll just write about my experience before coming to Salamanca because my memory of what happened will quickly vanish.

Things started off pretty uneventfully. Caught an early morning flight to JFK from Seattle with like 3 hours of sleep partially because summer American John is bad at going to bed before three in the morning and partially because I was having a mild freak out over what I was getting myself into. Things started off marvelously when an Asian lady on my flight came through in the clutch and gave me her aisle seat in the last row in exchange for my middle seat next to her daughter/sister/aunt/cousin. I was sitting next to two guys in orange Buddhist robes which was pretty cool just because that doesn't happen everyday. The flight was surprisingly swift and we landed a half hour ahead of schedule which was nice I guess but it just gave an extra thirty minutes of time to kill. This time was killed by eating at an airport restaurant wherein the guy offered me a beer because they didn't have the pepper jack cheese I requested. The burger was amazing though and a great last American meal. Time was also spent trying to spot Hassidic Jews in the airport, of which I found two. New York! The rest of the time was spent trying to charge my electronic devices and calling loved ones while I still had the ability to do so without needing a n internet connection.

Things learned at JFK:
-It is im-goddamn-possible to talk on the phone with any reliability when you are near a terminal as the overhead announcer says something approximately every 3 seconds. It is even more difficult when your name is being called on said intercom.
-JFK has nine terminals, one of which is dedicated solely to American Airlines. When travelling between terminals you have to go through security again. I discovered that my flight left not from Gate 7 but from Terminal 7 about two hours before my flight left, which thankfully was enough time.
-Hudson News is a strange company in that they only exist in airports but they seem to monopolize the convenience store/bookseller/magazine industry within the airport. What a strange monopoly to have.

My flight to Madrid was worse than my first flight. I did get to have a window seat but A. it was a red eye flight so yay darkness B. I was on the wing mostly and C. it was a transatlantic flight so if you love to see water and clouds then grand. My row companion was also an old lady who I didn't want to make get up that much. I have trouble sitting down for 8 hours straight or whatever so this was somewhat problematic but I soldiered through it. But overall it was fine and I slept a scoshe. Complaining about being uncomfortable is the whitest thing ever so I'll stop.

I think I'll leave it there since I have homework I can't procrastinate any longer (Spanish poems :( ) and figure I'll leave flight related nonsense to one post. Whenever I write again I will regale you with tale of my times in Madrid and tell of my experienes in my first week in Salamanca.