Life is a Round Table

4:00am and the alarm clock is already sounding. I had set two alarms on my regular alarm clock and another two on my little computer (which will run on batteries if we lose power). I hit the snooze alarm a couple of times but the alarms are programmed to all go off within minutes of one-another and I am actually up and out opt bed by 4:05am.

My chauffeur, Josef, is also up at this time and he manages to finish his shower before I finish mine. I wake up the kids at around 4:30am and say my goodbyes. They fall immediately back into sleep and I doubt that they will remember our final moments together on this continent. I kiss m wife goodbye and head downstairs.

The computers that I am taking have been charging overnight, and one had a long backup running. All of my data is backed up on multiple drives and is split up enough so that if any of the bags are lost, we can recover all of our important information (mainly pictures).

Joe and I get to the airport an hour and a couple of minuets early for my domestic flight.

Travel Tip Number One

Arrive at the airport 90+ minutes early for a domestic flight. I normally don't check bags when I fly and I can just jump in the security line and go. I had two bags to check and didn't anticipate the additional time.

The fine folks at Sun Country had all of the people flying to LA hop into a new formed line to expedite our way through security. Unfortunately they only had two people processing the line and I would have been done quicker had I stayed in my original position.

When my turn finally came up, he printer at the agent's station broke and I was delayed another ten minutes.

Travel Tip Number Two

If you are going to check bags, pay for it on-line. This is smart on two fronts. It not only gets you through the line faster, but it also costs you less.

Travel Tip Number Three

The cheapest fare isn't. We hired a travel agent to book my flight. The agent got me the cheapest ticket...but... With the additional baggage costs it is costing me more. Plus, had I booked it myself, I would have done it through one web site and my bags would have been checked through to my final destination. As it turns out, I will have to collect my bags at LAX and then re-check them with Qantas.

Travel Tip Number Four

As my mother says, "life is a round table". Which iOS a way of saying that if you put good into the world, good comeback to you. And if you put bad into the world, bad comes back to you.

While waiting in line to check my bags, a woman and her small child asked which flight was called over. It turns out that she was on the previously called flight. I helped her to get to the front of the line.

Later, when I was waiting to go through security, my flight was called for final boarding and others helped me to the front of my line. I would not have made it were it not for the kindness of strangers.

Travel Tip Number Five

You don't need to be wearing shoes to board the aircraft. I ran from security. It helps to know the layout of the airport so that you can pace yourself too.

Travel Tip Number Six

Kindness negate kindness. I am writing this as the only occupant of an exit row. I got to stretch out and relax after my heroic boarding of the aircraft. I was nice and niceness came back... But that's not just a travel tip.

We are approaching our destination and I must turn this off soon. St. Anthony travels with me. :)

Location:In the sky over the United States