It's Go-Time, People!

Hopefully everyone got my e-mail last night, approximately 11 pm because I'm crazy, and the rest of you have heard via Facebook.  I'll briefly update before we board for Ireland (ERMAGHERD.), and see you on the other side -- of the world.

I got to SEATAC without incident, in the chariot of my wonderful boyfriend Chris who took a whole day off of work to take me to the airport.  Mom and Dad and Copper stood on the porch to watch me go, and even Aspen stumbled downstairs to mumble a good bye.

I made it through check in, TSA, and Starbucks surprisingly quickly, and immediately began a conversation with the curly girl across the aisle at the terminal.  Her name is Daisy Jane Darling -- holy crap, best name ever! -- and she had the fabulous curls of my dreams, like mom's tight corkscrews, but very very long.  We immediately hit it off, and talked about curls and many other things.  She's sixteen, so obviously much braver than I am, and she goes to high school in Tacoma.

There was no one else in my row, an exit row, so she sat beside me.  I took a Virgin America flight, and it was a fantastic flight.  Every seat has a tv and remote control with a credit card swiper, and the safety speech is a music video with people like Phillip Cheeb and Cyrus Spencer (if you watch So You Think You Can Dance, you'll know).  There were games to play, and music to listen to, and you can order food right from your seat, and even send food or drinks to other passengers.  If Daisy Jane hadn't been able to move near me, I was going to send her a coke.

We talked and had a great time the whole flight, which was about an hour and 45 minutes.  I had a checked bag, but she didn't, so we said a very warm good bye for new instant friends, and went our separate ways.  I found my luggage, rearranged some books etc, and headed off to find Aer Lingus.

This involved three escalators and an airtrack train, and some pacing, and almost going through security without a boarding pass, before I found out that Aer Lingus doesn't open their desk for check ins until 2.  So I grabbed a burger, read, texted my family, and waited around.

I had nightmares all last night that they were not going to let me on the plane, and waiting in anticipation did NOT help this situation.  Supportive texts from mom/boyfriend kept me from losing it.  I eventually made it into a line of mostly non-Irish European foreigners, and stood for a very long time.

I discovered that, whatever classlessness Europeans assume of Americans must only apply to the adults.  I have never seen such uncivil children.  Among the most serious offenses, 1) Euro-Justin Beiber (a criminal offense in every country), 2) a rather loud boy who would not stop hanging off of his father, and trying to kiss him, 3) loud phone calls in non-English languages and slow texting that held up the line, 4) pushing into an existing line, 5) a German or Dutch boy picked his nose AND ATE IT, PEOPLE.

Anyway, after those idiots at the airline let me through, and no one at TSA sent me home with a stern word, I wandered, dazed, into my terminal.  I found a stand and bought a giant water bottle, some Gardetto's, and some SweetTarts.  I am now waiting patiently for them to let me on the plane.

Then the real adventure will begin!