Welcome to Utah

I thought it was an impossibility. I'm pretty sure this might be a miracle. Or at least a statistical improbability. I managed to have a seamless flying experience. Yes, you read that right. Seamless. I took a subway to an AirTrain to the airport where I waited in a security line (well, I didn't really wait per se, because I arrived a mere 35 minutes before my flight was taking off and the line was 100 people long so I kindly asked if I could go to the front... yes, I'm that girl), walked to my gate, got on, sat down, and we left.

As an aside, the night before, having been unable to alter my seat on the online check-in, I phoned Delta to request a seat change to an exit row or bulk head. I have long legs and I don't like small spaces. So sue me. The woman politely informed me that bulk head seats were assigned by the gate clerk on the day of the flight. Ok, so how about exit row? She immediately launches into a litany of very specific questions. Not the general, "Are you 18 and can you help in an emergency?" Oh no, this was straight up, "Can you lift and carry between 31.5 and 50 pounds? Can you speak English fluently enough to assist others in the event of an emergency (she asks through her thick accent)? Can you rub your tummy while patting your head and then switch?" Yeah. No problem. Just give me the seat. And, wonder of wonders, she did.

Flash back to flight day, and I'm in my exit row seat. With no one in the middle seat! Ladies and gentlemen, it's the small things that become massive deals to me. Ok, I do have to say that the not having a full meal on a cross-country flight was somewhat annoying, and the whole paying-for-movies was also tres pathetic... it's like look, I'm trapped in your small little box of a space for 5 hours with nothing to do, and have paid to sit here, can you just let me watch the Jane Austen Book Club for free people?? BUT this was somewhat balanced by tasty snacks and individualized TV screens (touch screens at that!) where I could watch CNN. Just like in my living room. Kind of.

I did some GMAT studying. I wrote some letters. I sipped on my ginger ale and munched on my Oreos. I read my TIME magazine. And chatted with my new friend in the aisle seat.

And the best part of all (as if this all wasn't enough), we landed 40 minutes early. Read 'em and weep folks. FORTY big ones. I could hardly contain myself I was so filled with joy. And then I basically ended up sitting in the airport chillaxin for 40 minutes because, true to form, Maren had left her phone at her house and so didn't receive my calls, and was, of course running late anyhow. Love it. But even this was grand because they have FREE Wifi in the SLC airport- my lucky day. I checked my gmail. My work mail. And started to write my blog. Glory. And apparently like they did it in olden days, Maren managed to find me without the assistance of a cell phone conversation of "Oh yeah, I'm over by the luggage carousel... no, not that one, the other one. Houndstooth coat. Yeah, ok, I see you, ok bye."

All in all, a pretty seamless process, if I do say so myself. If only I could hope in any small part of my brain that that would happen ever again in life. I just think it's something about this state. It's lovely in every way. Beauty like I've never experienced. Nice friendly people. Chillaxness like woh. Welcome to Utah.