My mom woke me up at 3:30 am on
January 5. I hopped in the shower and then had a bagel and a cup of coffee with
my family. We packed up the car and drove one hour to Elmira, New York. We got
to the airport with plenty of time to say goodbye. Leaving doesn’t really set
in until you hug your parents and look back through security as they walk out
of the airport.
As we walked onto the tarmac, the
wind was newsworthy strong. We walked up the wobbly steps of the propeller
plane and prepared for takeoff. I am an experienced traveler and have flown
tens of thousands of miles around the globe but I have never experienced such
violent turbulence in my life. Everyone in the plane was exchanging nervous
glances in the dimly lit cabin, but even the tenured flight attendant looked a
little scared. Thankfully we made it to Philadelphia in one piece, although my
stomach was a little upset.
The three-hour layover was not so
bad because I have been to Philadelphia International Airport many times and I
made friends with some other young travelers so I had people to talk with.
We boarded the very modern Qatar
Airways Boeing 757 and I was pleased to be seated on the aisle. The flight
attendant was very nice and drinks were served more frequently than on other
international flights. For dinner options were limited and I chose a vegetarian
Thai dish. The vegetables were questionable so I only ate the rice and roll.
For breakfast I had a middle-eastern chicken marsala. It was very good. The
on-board entertainment selection was alright. I watched Maze Runner, What If, X-Men: Times of Future Past, and November Man. I also listened to a
music playlist. I made sure to get up and stretch every 2 hours. However,
without sleeping pills or copious amounts of alcohol, 11-hour flights are not
enjoyable.
We arrived in Doha, Qatar where I
was supposed to receive a complimentary hotel room for my 14-hour layover. To
my disappointment, Qatar Airways had suspended such amenities on this day only
because there was an extra flight to Bangkok. So, I wondered around the
enormous airport until I found a bar. After a few Budweisers (Represent MO!) I
found a nice quiet area where I could curl up in a chair and cuddle with my
backpack. Thankfully, I managed to sleep for about 5 hours. When I woke up, I
found one of 30 restaurants and ordered chicken, eggs, coke, water, and coffee.
I was the only patron in the restaurant so the 5 waitresses continuously came
by to check on me. They were all very pretty and nice so I didn’t mind.
After a few more hours, our plane
was ready to leave. The flight was much shorter than expected. I watched a
movie called Skeleton Twins; it was
strange and dark but good. I managed to sleep more on this flight than the
previous two. For dinner I had chicken and rice, with a beer, and chocolate
moose for desert. It was second only to the chicken marsala.
We landed at 7:10 am local time
and I made it through customs and got my bags by 8:10. The advisor for the
international college exchange students came to pick me up. The weather at 8:15
am was a steamy 85 degrees. I am the only new exchange student so far. The rest
will arrive tomorrow.
Welcome to Thailand.
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