Early morning in the airport

I recently took an early morning flight from Winnipeg to Vancouver, by early morning, take off time was 6:00. I believe that if you want to arrive at your destination on time, take the first flight of the day and fly direct. 

When I travel, I try to eliminate as many unforeseen issues as possible, I do this by preparing as much as I can. I started by staying at a hotel right at the airport, which was a short walk to the terminal. I had printed my boarding pass as soon as it was available. For me, a paper copy of my boarding pass is less stressful than using my phone. I had weighed my luggage, I knew it was 43 lbs, well under the 50 lbs limit. When I arrived at the airport at 4:00, I had to make a stop at the counter to check my baggage, all went flawlessly, no long line up, just a simple stop to get my bag tag. 

Next, I am off to security, I had also prepared for this moment. My jewelry is in my purse and no underwire bra. There wasn't an alarm when I walked through the security arch which means no pat down. I even dodged the random swab check of my hands. Rarely, does that happen. It was clear that some of the staff had just arrived, and some were just finishing their shift. I know the pain and suffering of working all night and I can recognize it in others. 

The first thing I do when I get through security is I go the gate I am leaving from. I realize I have become a creature of habit when I travel. Tim Horton's was close by my gate, so I went and got in line, I was third. It opens at 4:00 and the staff were still getting organized when I arrived. I was in a good position to watch the efficiency that was happening behind the counter. I thought to myself, "what time do they have to get up to be at work at 4:00 AM?". I feel that you would always be exhausted, never a good night sleep working those hours. The two that were working did not appear to have any exhaustion and once they opened up, could they move the customers through. 

I took my coffee and found a spot in the boarding area at my gate. Another travel habit I have. People wandered in at a steady pace. Some looked dreadful, others looked refreshed and ready for the day. I was really entertained by a dad and his young daughter, I want to guess she was about 4. She clearly was not enjoying being up at that hour. She climbed up on his knee and he cuddled her with great affection. It appeared that she may go back to sleep. Nope, I was wrong. They were off to the bathroom. I am not sure what happened in the bathroom, I am assuming a wee spat. I spotted him first, with a bit of a scowl on his face. I was concerned he had forgotten he was the only parent as the little one was nowhere in sight. Then around the corner she came, I am just assuming she was the reason for the scowl on her dad's face. They really hadn't been gone long, but I guess long enough to turn on each other. 

People watching is entertaining and does make the time go by. The WestJet staff all looked refreshed and ready to go. The pilots and airplane staff arrived, and they looked ready to do their jobs. I assume they also deal with poor sleeping hours. 

We were to start boarding at 5:20. At exactly 5:20 the first person walked down the walkway. I was trying to recall if I have ever experienced that. Other than at Brandon which has one flight leaving each day and as soon as the flight arrives, they just reload as quickly as they can. When they called zone 3 off I go. I always sit at the window, and I try to get on before the middle or outside people arrive. Once on board I am witness to the carry-on chaos of shoving luggage that is too big to go in the overhead, into the overhead. I have come to terms with this, and I find myself more patient about it. I found my seat, buckled up and was ready to go. At exactly 6:00, we were backing out. Once again, I am trying to recall when I ever left at the exact scheduled time. I felt impressed and blessed; there was no one in the middle seat. The next 3 hours was going to be comfortable.  

During covid I started to load my travel bag with lots of food. I knew cookies and pretzels weren't going to do it for breakfast. I put the tray down, pulled out some of my food storage and waited for the cart with the coffee. I love morning coffee on WestJet because it is "McDonald's". I wanted to ask if they could leave the pot with me once they were done serving everyone. I am finding that once the staff serve coffee, and pick up garbage, you never see them again until preparing for landing. There was no opportunity to have another cup of coffee. 

I always carry a journal and a book. I didn't use either of them because it was dark and everyone was resting. I just watched the daybreak, and it was extremely peaceful. 

I realize that I am usually calm about things if I prepare for them. By booking the early morning flight and staying in a close hotel, I felt those were things in my control. I am strong believer you have to ask for what you need. I have an interesting connection with the Universe or God. I know I have to be clear and concise when asking for help. It was very important that my flight arrive on time in Vancouver. So, I reached out, and this is what I asked for: a safe trip to Winnipeg, short line-up at check-in and security, smooth flight and that my luggage arrived. He scored big time in my world!

As I mentioned I am a creature of habit when I fly. When I have to be at an airport at 4:00, I might as well go when I wake up for the hundredth time. A few minutes sleep is not going to make any difference, sleep deprivation has already taken affect. I have my clothes laid out, like a firefighter, so I can dress quickly. I pack the same things in my bag, passport, boarding pass, food, water bottle, journal, book and I am ready to go. I need to keep it as simple as I can when I travel, it just works better for me. When I watch some people arrive frazzled and out of breath, I am so grateful for my little routine. There is way more joy in having a calm manner to traveling, especially in retirement. I am sure everyone that does any amount of traveling has a routine just like mine, only your own. I am sure you will also agree it is worth it.