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I arrived at MSP yesterday, March 9th at noon, right on schedule. I have been planning and daydreaming about this two week adventure for almost three months (and also dreading the decision I made to take four flights in 24 hours with a minimum of 3 hour layovers between). It’s been pretty fucked up to be completely honest, but I’ve gotten to see some stuff and talk to some people I never would have, shared language or otherwise. In Philly I watched a guy sitting next to me at the bar put away three margaritas in an hour without looking up from his phone, and watched the slushy machine fall of the stand and shatter, splattering “frozé” behind the bar and all over the poor barbacks. That was the perfect segue for the bartender to tell me all of her mysterious ghostly encounters working at the airport which was just the right amount of drama to distract me from the fact that I didn’t do my homework right and was unable to fix the format on my phone. That was Philly (5 hours of airport Philly). The flight to Madrid was thankfully uneventful. I took a 3 mg melatonin which it probably equivalent to a Xanax for anyone else, and woke up every hour for 6 hours. Reflecting now I do feel like the melatonin was probably enhanced by the heavy ass pour of free white wine I was given upon departure. I felt strange and scared when I woke up but well rested enough to navigate the Madrid airport for the first time alone. I got off and did not stop walking for literally the whole hour and a half I was there!!! What a fucking clusterfuck maze!!! Nice though I guess and everyone was so helpful. Thankful for 2 hours of Madrid, I’ll be back for you in 6 days maybe we can get to know each other better. The flight from Madrid to Lisbon was honestly exactly what I needed: empty row in the back, sprawled out across three seats and passed out for an hour. Unfortunately I woke up to life threatening turbulence, which actually has turned out to be the theme of the day. The layover in Lisbon was fine, delayed as all hell though (weather, hole in the tarmac (????)). At this point not even “shake it” by Frost children looped as loud as possible can keep me awake and alert. They made me check my bag because they hate me but that is also a pretty good external sign that I’m holding it together well (they wouldn’t ask me to do that if I looked like how I feel on the inside, I presume) and now on the last leg, Lisbon to Porto, and I’m up ONE MILLION. Even though I did just cry watching the sweetest interaction between a dad and his daughter, and also because the woman across the isle from me had the cutest black cat with her. This is European equivalent to Minneapolis to Chicago, sort of an up and down and *no* around vibe. I keep getting missed connection texts from my friend who is three hours ahead of me in this journey too which is an interesting and helpful development, something to look forward to at every turn.  Hopefully my bag is with me on this plane and I can have a cappuccino or vino verde or both in an hour when I get picked up from the airport princess style by my family who are impatiently awaiting my arrival :) hopefully I never do this again!
3d ago

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trying to spin this positively because I’m very stressed about this. but uhhh positive spin… a day and a half of beautiful weather :-) seeing some of my best friends, one of whom just got a new kitten, and getting to be on set for hopefully two very fun shoots that I wrote for. pray I sleep through both flights amen
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Kinda comfy feeling you get to wait with others read your book and play on your phone. kinda exhausting especially connecting flights but feels like your on an adventure:))
Feb 4, 2024

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