Leaving on a Jet Plane...

All my bags are packed I'm ready to go
I'm standin' here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye
But the dawn is breakin' it's early morn
The taxi's waitin' he's blowin' his horn
Already I'm so lonesome I could die

So kiss me and smile for me
Tell me that you'll wait for me
Hold me like you'll never let me go
Cause I'm leavin' on a jet plane
Don't know when I'll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go


~From Leaving on a Jet Plane by John Denver



Okay, so I didn't get a taxi to the airport (my brother drove us). Nor did I leave my honey behind. (He's the reason we were travelling in the first place.) But, you get the idea. This past weekend was the first time I'd been on a plane in ten years and, boy, things have changed in that time.

Frankly, I was apprehensive about going to the airport, but I was determined to go with hubby on this trip. We bipassed the kiosks where you could check yourself in and went straight for the airline counter. I'd much rather deal with people than machines. Funny, how you don't even need a ticket now. Flash your ID and you get your boarding pass. (Of course, I had all the paperwork onhand just in case.)

I worried about luggage too. What could go in the carry-on bags and what had to be checked in the suitcase. I even bought new luggage for the trip. After all, I had one small suitcase that was part of a set I used when I left home. Did I mention I just had my 30th high school reunion? I really needed a new suitcase and one with wheels. I bought a nifty purple one. You can't miss it. And I tied little red threads on the outside zipper so I could easily recognize it. You know, just in case someone else on my flight had an awesome purple suitcase too. *g*

You know I made poor hubby leave early to go to the airport, both coming and going. Good for me that the man understands me and puts up with my little idiosyncrasies. It made me feel more relaxed to be at the airport early, so off to the airport we went. Did I mention my husband is a saint. lol He's so much more relaxed about these things than I am, while I spend all my time worrying about things like the luggage, tickets, ground transportation, hotel confirmation numbers, etc...

Everything ran like clockwork, both going and on the return trip. Security checked my purse on the return trip because they didn't like the look of my keychain. lol It's the bottom half of a silver spoon. It's heavy and big so I never lose my keys in my purse, but on the xray they were probably wondering what the heck it was.

Neither airport is huge, not like New York, Chicigo or Toronto, still, it was a challenge for me and I'm so glad I did it. For people who would rather stay home, hubby and I quite enjoyed our three-day weekend away. He had to go to a conference and, since the hotel room and his tickets were paid for, I hitched along for only the cost of my plane tickets and I'm so glad I did.

We stayed at a Radisson hotel and it was amazing. The room was HUGE and the staff was wonderful. The event he had to attend went off beautifully and we managed to get some shopping in as well.

Who knows, I may start thinking about another trip for next summer. But that's a topic for another day.