I wake early, it’s 4:30am and my iPhone alarm is sounding. I remember why I had set the alarm last night and jump out from bed, today I travel to Thailand. I stayed at my mums house last night and have a few choices on how to get from here to the tube which will take me too The airport. I opt for using my own feet and walk the two miles to the tube. Today I will be sitting down more than I would like on airplanes, so walking is the best option. As I walk my fifteen kilo pack feels actually not so heavy and so I brisk walk through the dark cold streets. I didn’t bring a jacket and I’m cold as it’s only two degrees but in Thailand the temperature will be too hot for a jacket, so I’m prepared to suffer the cold for this short walk.
I read my book “A walk in the wood’s” by Bill Bryson. In the book Bill recalls his walk on the Appalachian trail with his friend Stephen Katz. I have recently finished “North” by Scott and Jenny Jurek and also the very well written “Called again” by Jennifer Pharr davis, all these books are about hiking/running the Appalachian trail. We arrive at the airport without me really noticing the time pass by, “A walk in the woods” has me engrossed. The flight attended asks if I’m okay as I walk around looking for an empty row of three seats on the plane. I waited till I was the last person to board the plane in hope of finding a free row of seats to lay down and sleep on. I was way too excited to sleep last night.
I tell the lovely flight assistant about my search and and she leads me to a free row of seats I had not seen, but warns me that I must vacate if the missing 5 passengers show up. Just as I’m chatting with my mum on the phone telling her how lucky I am the late family show up and I move for them. Back to my seat I go where I’m snugly sat between a passenger to my left and right. Ten minutes pass by I have accepted my fate when the same lovely flight assistant appears and leads me along the aisle to a seat with a free seat in-between me and the an Indian man with a moustache sitting next to the window. Very pleased with this progress I thank the lady and proceed to call my mum to tell her the new great news.
After a pleasant flight and more stories from Bill’s book I’m now in Bahrain waiting for my connecting flight to Bangkok.