There’s hustle and bustle, there is quiet and loud, there is a sense of adventure and also a sense of work. Airports bring about so many different emotions, and heighten all the senses.
Yesterday and today was our first travel day for the World Race! We spent over eight hours in the Atlanta airport today and as a big fan of people watching and observing what is going on around me, here is a view into the sights and sounds of our first travel day!
Sight:
I watched the airline employees graciously and patiently help to check in 42 people with their excessive bags. I watched a mom put her trust in (and then her children in the care of) some random World Racers that she didn’t know so she could go get the correct boarding passes. Around 5 pm, we saw the shine of golden hour beaming through the windows of the terminal giving a glimpse of warmth. I watched as my grandparents playfulIy tried to make themselves younger. I read an encouraging text from my momma as I got ready to get on my plane to Newark.
Sound:
I listened to stock market updates from my bank while I was on hold. I had a sweet friend tell me about her experience at a Christian college so that we could learn about our different experiences. I heard the sweet sound of my brother’s voice as he told me about the last six days since we’ve seen each other. I heard my grandparents tell me that they were excited for me and that they were learning what it meant to not worry! I listened to music for the first time in a week!
Smell:
I fought past the smell of fish from a restaurant as I sat with my squad under the escalator outside of TSA. I smelled the sweet smell of coffee from Starbucks and the beauty that comes from Chick-fil-A.
Touch:
I sat on hard tile floors as my squad waited to check our bags. I felt many escalator handrails and many tram supports. I held the boarding pass to my first World Race country.
Taste:
This morning, I sipped my last Starbucks Peppermint Mocha Frap stateside for 11 months. I munched on a soft pretzel from Auntie Ann’s for lunch and then ate chicken that truly seems to be blessed by Jesus (Chick-fil-A) for dinner. Smother those nuggets and fries in some Chick-fil-A sauce and add a diet lemonade and life is good.
Hope you enjoyed a quick glimpse into a World Race travel day! Until next time friends!
P.S. WE HAVE ARRIVED IN ABIDJAN, COTE D’IVOIRE, AFRICA! We most likely won’t have wifi for most of the month, so there will not be many posts coming until we move to Ghana!
