Monday, May 26, 2008

Alex in London: the first letter

Note a couple of things: first, she flew business class. I didn't pay for that, although given the price of air travel this summer, what I paid for her to fly economy might have bought a business class ticket before America made some bad life choices in 2000. (It's a Simpson's joke). Alex -- like her brother Matt -- have figured out how to get into business class without paying, and I understand -- though I don't want all the details -- that it involves flirting with a flight attendant of the opposite gender. Also, for those of English extraction (you have been warned) you might want to skip this, as Alex (though of Irish, Scots, German, Italian, and Greek ancestry) has inherited the Italian antipathy for the English. Since the English share a similar antipathy for the Italians, I guess it's only fair.

"Dear Mom and Dad,
My layover in London is more than halfway complete. It’s 2:23 am in
Burlington (you’re tucked in tight) and it is 7:23 am in London. I’m
managing for the time being, considering that I absolutely conked out
on not 1, but 2, flights. It’s fairly easy to do from the bulkhead of
business class. When I woke up to land, I was dreaming that there was a
wolf in front of me on the plane and I refused to wake up and run from
it. I guess that’s how I felt. Anyway, British Airways seems to have
stepped up from mildly from our last experience flying with them. The
appearance of the British, however, has not. I flew in front of one of
possibly one of the most unattractive flat-faced woman I have ever
seen. So far, my travel has really been flawless. I’ve managed to find
my way and was only frisked once. I’m curious to find out what airport
security thinks I can hide underneath a white cotton skirt and tube
top. Also, while taking a tram to another terminal in Boston I had the
aching fear that perhaps I was supposed to pick-up my checked luggage
and re-check it. The concierge reassured me, but I just kept imagining
myself being responsible for my own lost luggage.
I hope y’all had a safe trip to Burlington from the airport. I was
relieved that there were no tears at the airport. A month goes by
quickly, probably at lightning speed for me. While I’m awake during travel, I’ve been
re-reading my high school graduation gift from Katie, Through Painted
Deserts, by Donald Miller. “It’s interesting how sometimes you have to
leave home before you can ask the difficult questions, how the
questions never come up in the room you grew up in, in the town which
you were born. It’s funny how you can’t ask difficult questions in a
familiar place, how you have to stand back a few feet and see things in
a new way before you realize nothing that is happening to you is
normal.” All my love to each of you and the family,
Alex"

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