Full Circle

I am sitting at Gate 5 of Terminal 3 at JFK. Last time I was here, at this exact terminal, it was when Becca and I took a 2 week jaunt through Italy before I started school. Now, after 2 years and numerous case studies later, I am back at this terminal and asking Delta to once again fly me to Italy. It feels like an accomplishment that this time I have status and I was able to bypass all lines and negotiate my way into the Sky Lounge (thank you Kimberly Wade-Benzoni, I learned something in Negotiations).

My flight was supposed to leave at 5:30 but it has been delayed to 8:15. Mechanical problems in Rome. It always makes me feel good when the plane I am going to be on, over the Atlantic, for 8 hours, has mechanical issues. But my anxiety and xanax filled flying days are over and I am a cool cucumber. The gigantic Blue Moon I got at the bar helped. I took half of it to go- Tybee Island style. The gate is packed with all sorts of people and the air is hot and stagnant. CNN will only report on the oil spill and I still have a few hours until I get to settle into seat 29J.

My flight should arrive in Rome around 11:30. Then baggage claim, a quick nod to the hot Italian Carabinieri with machine guns and dogs at customs, the train to Trastevere, a cab to the B&B Relais, and a long awaited reunion with my favorite city in the world (Sorry BA, but you are a close second). There are small things I love about Fumicino: the electric doors at baggage claim, the signs that direct you to the train, and the train terminal with the ticket machines that never work and an old school train table sign. They all build the anticipation of getting to the coure de la citta bella