Leaving Third World in First Class
I made it to the airport 3 hours before the flight and got in line to check my luggage. The lady at the counter told me no problem about the third bag (my paddle bag), it’ll just cost me 100 dollars. Well, I definitely was not in the mood to pay 100 dollars for the bag. If I was going to do that I might has well brought my kayak home. So I told her that I would turn it into 2 bags, if there was no other way to make the price cheaper. She handed me my bags back and I proceeded to pull out my boat bag, and stuff my paddles and gear bag all into the same huge boat bag. It turned into one huge, awkward, bulky bag, with the keyword being one. She checked that and my other bag and I didn’t get charged at all!
As I am waiting at the gate to board the flight, I hear my name over the loudspeaker. My first thought was of Zoe Savage, and how that was probably how she heard her name before they arrested her. They didn't want to arrest me though, they just wanted to know if I would like a courtesy bump up to business class! I of course said yes, and that was definitely the right answer.
I had never ridden in first class before, but now that I have its going to be hard to go back. Immediately I got served a glass of champagne, followed by them taking my dinner order from the special “business class menu.” I was like a little kid playing with all my new toys. There were buttons that made your seat recline, adjust the lumbar support and even bring out a footrest. Then of course there was the private TV that swiveled out from between the seats that allowed you to choose from 7 or so different movies. They gave me all kinds of free little goodies, alcohol of course being one of them. All in all, if I was going to have to leave Ecuador, that was the best way to do it.
The man sitting next to my on the flight was an Ecuadorian mechanical engineer working for Volkswagen. We had a wonderful conversation (half of which was in English and the other half in Spanish) about job opportunities for American engineers in Ecuador. He gave me his card and told me to email him if I’m back in the country or after I graduate, whichever comes first. That of course got the ideas turning in my head…
Reagan was at the airport waiting for me as I arrived through the doors. I had to get a little cart to carry all of my stuff. With the bag and the paddles all stuffed together, I felt like I was pushing a cello through the airport!
(Photos courtesy of Reagan Jones)
Once Reagan gets back from class this morning, we'll head to lunch. My mom will then be here to pick me up and drive me the 4.5 hours back to Tampa. I will make my final post once I am back in Tampa. I feel that by then it will have truely hit me that my trip is over and I am home.
As I am waiting at the gate to board the flight, I hear my name over the loudspeaker. My first thought was of Zoe Savage, and how that was probably how she heard her name before they arrested her. They didn't want to arrest me though, they just wanted to know if I would like a courtesy bump up to business class! I of course said yes, and that was definitely the right answer.
I had never ridden in first class before, but now that I have its going to be hard to go back. Immediately I got served a glass of champagne, followed by them taking my dinner order from the special “business class menu.” I was like a little kid playing with all my new toys. There were buttons that made your seat recline, adjust the lumbar support and even bring out a footrest. Then of course there was the private TV that swiveled out from between the seats that allowed you to choose from 7 or so different movies. They gave me all kinds of free little goodies, alcohol of course being one of them. All in all, if I was going to have to leave Ecuador, that was the best way to do it.
The man sitting next to my on the flight was an Ecuadorian mechanical engineer working for Volkswagen. We had a wonderful conversation (half of which was in English and the other half in Spanish) about job opportunities for American engineers in Ecuador. He gave me his card and told me to email him if I’m back in the country or after I graduate, whichever comes first. That of course got the ideas turning in my head…
Reagan was at the airport waiting for me as I arrived through the doors. I had to get a little cart to carry all of my stuff. With the bag and the paddles all stuffed together, I felt like I was pushing a cello through the airport!
(Photos courtesy of Reagan Jones)Once Reagan gets back from class this morning, we'll head to lunch. My mom will then be here to pick me up and drive me the 4.5 hours back to Tampa. I will make my final post once I am back in Tampa. I feel that by then it will have truely hit me that my trip is over and I am home.
posted by Laura Farrell at
11:33 AM
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