Window Seat

This article was written in retrospect

“Can I get a window seat?
Don’t want nobody next to me
I just want a chance to fly
A chance to cry and a long bye-bye”-“Window Seat” by Erykah Badu

Today is my second day in the Peace Corps!! I’m currently at JFK airport in New York with another two hours before boarding for Johannesburg. In my last post, I was so worried about this and that. But in the last week, I’m telling you, I was on straight get-it-done mode. I didn’t have time to think and dream and contemplate. I surely didn’t dream as I didn’t get very much sleep. I was over here getting this done, over there…I feel bad for the people I missed calling and texting either in return or just to say goodbye, but I’m only one person and time was against me.

My mom, dad, aunt, sister, brother-in-law, and Zach(!) came to the Richmond airport to see me off. I didn’t feel like I was going to cry (getting misty-eyed now) even when my mom started up. It was my aunt’s boo-hooing, and hugging my dad, who was totally dry eyed, that did it. I hugged everybody twice and went on through the gate. TSA. Do they realize everybody does not participate in this process on a daily basis as they do??? The attitudes. Should I have known I had to take my laptop out? Was this knowledge that I was supposed to inherently have been born with??? So later I realized there was a bland little sign that said so, but being sniffling and snuffling like I was, I didn’t notice it. Also didn’t know you had to put your shoes in the basket, didn’t know what had to go in separate baskets. I was just a pain in these people’s neck. Sorry Richmond TSA! Now I KNOW!! Anywho, after that harassment, I finally passed the inspection and promptly went to the bathroom to cry in the handicapped stall for about twenty seconds. I stayed in there about a minute to wait out these two nosey old ladies who were stalling at the sink trying to see who was crying. Mind your own business! After I walked out as inconspicuously as I could with terrapin red eyes, I followed the example of other people who all seemed to know what they were doing, and figured I had to board as my row was called. It was last. When I stepped into that sardine can, I was shocked. There were two rows and I couldn’t believe how crammed all the people looked with everyone holding their shoulders and thighs in and arms straight out between their legs trying to desperately not to touch the person sitting beside them. I found my seat next to a very well dressed, robust man who was polite in saying “Good Morning” and standing so I could have the inside chair. I was so glad for this because I was prepared to go in there singing “I think I need a window seat. Don’t want nobody next to me” It was just time to be in my feelings if needed. I sat down and turned my whole face to the window, which was uncomfortable because I had to look down to see out said window, and only a few tears made their way out again. I managed to arrange for a shuttle to take me to the hotel, go me! In the shuttle there was this very nice young woman from Brazil on her way to class at Penn State. The driver was a very knowledgeable man from Nigeria who engaged with us on the ethnic heritage of people from Brazil, particularly from whichever city this girl was from, then when she got out the man and I continued talking about world-wide perceptions of beauty, and a host of other race related topics that I don’t even remember how we got on the subject. By this time, I was needing that window seat again. I was getting a migraine (this one I’ll call travel induced) and was just ready to ride in silence, but you just can’t pull out of lively conversation without looking like you’ve been offended or are a total jerk. So I muddled bravely on but nausea was sending me Save the Date announcements that the time of reckoning was coming.

At the hotel, I spotted them right away and knew who they were by the Colombia jackets and shoes, and the NorthFace raincoats they were all freshly sporting. I could practically smell the store they bought them in as I walked in the door. This was my group. There were about four of them doing their best to pose casually against a bar in the downstairs bistro while trying to control the excitement in their voices. I walked right on by. Now I may seem like a you know what for not introducing myself, but frankly I didn’t feel like it. Did I mention the migraine lurking in the shadows behind my eye socket? I knew there was no time to waste, and let’s be honest, sometimes I’m moody. My great-grandmother would accredit that to my being a “March baby” and therefore I change like the wind in March. Astrologist would point out this is typical Pisces behavior. At least today I had a tangible reason. The Window Seat feeling was just starting to give way to “I need to get some food now, preferably something sweet, and to lay down or I’m going to throw up food I haven’t eaten and suffer a migraine that Bayer can’t fix.” So, I wasn’t in the mood, alright? I went straight to the clerk and asked him where the PC was meeting. Never mind the fact I was two and a half hours early, he sent me to the upstairs ballroom. Of course it was empty. I remembered not seeing luggage surrounding those guys downstairs. Time to introduce myself. They told me to check in. Duh. I hadn’t been sure we would get a room having to leave at two-thirty in the morning and training wasn’t over til seven in the evening, but it makes sense we would lay down for a few hours. Since we got those pesky introductions out of the way, I didn’t stay and chat with the growing number of volunteers downstairs. Instead I popped a migraine pill and shot out the door and walked to the first eatery I found and ordered a sandwich. Back upstairs I gagged as I swallowed a quarter of the sandwich, gave up and attempted a nap. My last ditch effort. I knew I had screwed up by taking the pill, sandwich, and nap out of order and too far in between.

After a bit I decided to get on up and check out the people downstairs before I completely missed the getting to know you window. Darnit! They were gone. Probably went to lunch. Just as well. The migraine was still stalking my frontal lobe and was only mildly sated by the two bites of sandwich and nap. Time to hit the hay again. My roommate had been there and dropped off her belongings while I was gone. When I met her, she was immediately likable. We went down to the ballroom together with all fifty volunteers plus staff for staging.

During the six hour session we split into our two project groups. RAP and LIFE. At first we went around in a circles saying what our names were, where we’re from, and something we’re proud of that we’re bringing to Zambia. The staff’s example was that she was proud to be a tomboy. I said that in honor of Black History Month I was bringing Black Pride. The BP fist accompanied this statement. After this we went through information sessions, did interactive learning activities and received our debit cards to use while in the States. Each had $120 to use for food. Or whatever. After withdrawing the money, its yours to use how you want. You can squander it on beer and shots if you want. There’s no oversight, but if you don’t have any money later to eat with, let it not be said PC let you starve. A group and I walked to Hard Rock Café and feasted on steaks, ribs, burgers, chicken. A last hurrah for American food. We got back to the hotel around 11 with three and a half hours before we had to be downstairs loading the buses. I spent two of those hours charging every electronic I own and showering. When I got to bed, I still couldn’t catch a wink until about forty minutes til time to get up. I just couldn’t sleep knowing I’d have to get up soon. When that time rolled around everyone met downstairs and got on the buses for the drive from Philadelphia to JFK. We made it there in great time. We had five hours before boarding. I suppose that they didn’t want to take the chance that we’d be late for any reason, but that amount of wiggle room was a little on the overkill side to me. Then again, I don’t ride planes that often, and perhaps this is the norm. I don’t know. Anyway, I‘ll be posting another blog as soon as I can. Thanks for reading!

Also, sorry this one should have been posted before my last, I’m doing a mass posting session of the ones I have saved up