excitement, security, and adventure
I am always excited to journey across the ocean to see our Ethiopian friends. Always.
Even when I get stopped in security. Yes. It happened again. You may recall in October, I decided to put my money belt on under my clothing before going through security. I really did think this was a good idea. I was carrying cash and thought this would be the safest place for it. I learned that it was not as wise as I originally thought.
You may be wondering what stopped me this time. Apparently you cannot take a regular sized aerosol bottle of dry shampoo through security. My options:
- Take it back and try to check it.
- Say goodbye to my new bottle of dry shampoo.
I chose the later. I do hope someone gets to enjoy it.
Next stop - Chicago O’Hare. This actually turned out to be an even bigger adventure than security at MSP! I had a fairly close connection so immediately after I departed the plane at Terminal 1, I asked for directions to get to my next flight. I was directed to Terminal 5 for international travel. So, I jumped on a train and headed down the way. When I got of the train, everything looked foreign; I didn’t see United anywhere, so again, I approached someone working at an informational desk. The sweet lady looked at my ticket and said, “Oh, honey. You are supposed to be at Terminal 1 (where I had just come from), and I am not sure you are going to make your flight.”
So, I hopped back on the train and headed back to Terminal 1 – and because I left the area, I had to go back through the long, long security line. The man at the entry area told me I could ask people if I could cut in line… so I raced through, bumping people and BEGGING them to let me go through, apologizing along the way. (Just want to note… people were amazing!)
Once I got to the front of the line, I was told not only to take off my shoes, but also my scarf and sweater. Once completed I thought, “The rest is easy. No problem. I already did this – and they confiscated the dry shampoo – so I am good.” As I made my way through security, I noticed my bag was stopped… just sitting idly for the longest time, under the scrutiny of the security man. And then suddenly, it went to the “bad” line. What in the world could it be, I wondered?
Well, I forgot one small thing. I had filled my water bottle. So, I was stopped again. And they were not in a hurry but proceeded to tell me I was NEVER going to make my flight.
Let’s just say by the time I got to my gate, I was a hot, sweaty mess! My lungs were burning, the sweat was dripping, my face was red, and I HAD NO WATER. ... ...But I made it.
I am now sitting in Frankfurt, Germany. I had a delicious pastry and would love a shower and a bed. But will settle in... awaiting the next big adventure.
Because I am still excited to see our Ethiopian friends.