Recursive Words

I’m finally on my way to the US for “Flight Sim Expo” in Minneapolis – after a morning folding clothes, and worrying about the size and weight of my carry-on bag. An Uber taxi arrived precisely when he said he would, and whisked me to the airport while sharing stories about driving for Uber, visiting the airport, and recent flights he had been on.

Once in the taxi and on my way, I started to relax a little.

I worry about everything. Yesterday afternoon I double checked the rules for carry-on items, and went back through my bags again. I’m travelling light, but I suppose in many ways it’s a game – can I get through security without being questioned at all?

Of course I flew through security. After arriving at the airport a little over two hours early – as they advise you to – I found myself wandering through Terminal 3 with two hours left to wait.

I relaxed a little more.

After deciding breakfast would be a very good idea, I picked perhaps the biggest restaurant/bar in Terminal 3 – “The Curator”, and requested the all-too-predictable “table for one”.

Fast forward half an hour, and I’ve made a “traditional English breakast” vanish. It cost three times as much as the equivalent meal at Wetherspoons despite being largely the same. I can’t imagine what the leaseholds cost within the terminals at an international airport.

Despite the cost, it’s absolutely rammed – every table is full. A pretty Italian waitress is running here, there and everywhere in my corner of the restaurant – she never stops moving.

It’s kind of lovely to see fellow travellers from all over the world – different cultures, colours, races – all politely mixing with each other. It makes you realise the continual stream of violence and division in the news isn’t the whole story – not even a tiny part of the whole story. The real world is all around me here, and it couldn’t be more different than the mouthpieces on social media would have you believe.

I have an hour left until my flight boards. While writing this to pass the time, the Italian waitress just delivered a second cappuccino to me.

I’m writing on an iPad for the first time in ages. In some ways the next few days will be an experiment of sorts – to see how useful an iPad really is while on the road – if I’ll miss having a “proper” laptop at all. Given that all I typically use a laptop for is as a glorified typewriter, I don’t think I’ll have too much trouble.

Boarding opens in 45 minutes.

We’ll be in the air for the better part of 9 hours – then another half an hour from Minneapolis St Paul to the city of St Paul, where I’m staying. I need to remember to get some dollars for tips when I land states-side. I’m not buying them here, because I’ll get clobbered by the rip-off foreign exchange places in the airport. When we went to Copenhagen late last year we didn’t take any currency with us, and didn’t need any – everything was touch-to-pay. I’m hoping the same will be true in the US, but want to have at least some cash, just in case.

Maybe it’s time to go have a wander around the airport.