This morning I didn’t sleep enough, went to the airport earlier than I had to, bought an entirely forgettable cup of coffee and went on a plane. Or to put it another way…
I went to be last night happy in the knowledge that I had been tired all day, so was all set to get straight to sleep and be ready to start my time back home. Three hours later, I got to sleep. Two hours later I was woken by a strange keening sound.. I punched at it until it stopped, then realised that it was my mobile phone awakening me at the predetermined time I set it to in order to get me to the airport early enough to get through the no doubt wild and crazy crowds that would be there for a packed plane at this time of year. I got to the airport just before they started opening the check-in counters for the morning. I dropped my bag off and got to the security terminal just before they opened to let us through. I got to the gate about an hour before boarding. Turns out I could have slept another hour and evened out the trying to sleep/sleep disparity. Oh well..
Not too long after I got to the gate, I noticed the coffee place over there had their coffee machine warmed up and ready to go. Most of the lights were off, but they seemed operational so I headed over for a long black to start my long day. Turns out that the guy operating the machine gets in early for the early flights to supply us early morning passengers with an early cup of joe before embarking on our early morning trips purely because he can. He has no change in the register because they’re not officially opened yet so when I hand him some money he tells me what I owe him and gestures towards a bowl of change telling me to ‘go for it’. As I kick my brain into gear to calculate my change he prepares my morning repast (the coffee and a ham & cheese croissant) while completing the previous chap’s order and taking the next one. I sit and eat my croissant while listening to my ipod (same song you’re listening to) and waiting for my coffee to cool in a darkened corner of the cafe while watching the shuffling human morass start their day similarly to mine. We’re all up too early and trying to offset the sleepyness, seems some are more capable than others in making it happen.
I spend the next five hours in a wing’d beige tube of tedium listening to music and daring myself to get some sleep for the first time ever on a plane… I fail. Still, I’m back home.. ish.. for now. Hello family, hello friends, hello dogs. It’s/ll be good to see you again.