A Mexico

5 January 2011, 10:05 p.m.

Yesterday was an adventure, and I’m glad that I wasn’t doing it alone. (Every program in my dock is open now, though five of them don’t work because I’m not in the room where the wifi is the strongest.) The first part of the trip -- stateside -- wasn’t too much of an adventure. Actually, I take that back. It was, starting fifteen minutes before the cab picked me up.

The driver called to make sure he had the right address, and he didn’t. He was in another part of the city entirely, but I got it corrected. During the course of the drive, it came up that I’m a seminarian and he talked to me. A lot. It was something like hearing a confession but not really, but also like a pastoral counseling session...but not really. It was most like a CPE/chaplaincy visit from this past summer. I can’t really say much more for that, but he’s in my prayers, even though I didn’t get his name.

The Delta desk agent was snappy with me; I’d checked in online the day before but didn’t print my boarding pass; I had the option of printing it at a kiosk, and I knew I didn’t have any ink, so I didn’t print it. When I tried at a kiosk, it wouldn’t let me and I had to get an agent. I asked her for a print out and she asked if I’d printed it at home and I told her “no” and she said that maybe I should not have checked in online…..

Then the line to security was hella long. It was overflowing into the walkway and then there was a snaky part. When I got to the intrance to the snaky part I jetted through; everyone was going through the “Casual Traveler” line. The “Expert” line said uniform crew only...until 7:30 and it was well after 8:00. Getting to my gate (and stopping at Starbucks) was no hassle. Boarding wasn’t, either.

When I got to Mexico City, it took forever for my bag to come and I was constantly looking at my watch. I needed to change money, but I had to send my bag through customs scanners, and my bag would. not. come. Immigration and customs were no big deal. When my bag finally came I got through customs and went to check in again, but I went to the wrong desk.