Pre-planning#
For me, 2023 is destined to be a memorable year, especially in the autumn months of September and October.
This trip was meticulously planned for about a month - starting at the end of August, with multiple revisions to the destination. Initially, I planned to go to Shaanxi for research with a friend in Beijing, but due to time constraints, I had to abandon this plan and instead choose to travel together for a short period of time. The original destination was Wuhan and Changsha, but in the end, only the trip to Changsha with this friend from September 28th to October 2nd was retained. On October 2nd, my friend returned to his own home early in the morning, and I flew to Chengdu alone to watch a two-day music festival. On October 4th, I returned to Chongqing to pick up my girlfriend from the airport and spent four days together before sending her back to school.
Departure#
On September 28th, with the end of the TOEFL speaking class, I hurriedly left with my luggage - a perfectly sized 13-inch suitcase filled with lightweight summer clothes and a few essentials. It was a weekend, and I missed lunch due to the early start of the class, so I had to buy coffee and a sandwich to satisfy my hunger on the way to the airport. So, after quickly picking up my order at Starbucks, I met the driver on the side of the road and got into the car with my fast food. Unfortunately, in the chaos, the coffee spilled, not only dirtying the back seat but also leaving marks on my carefully ironed white shirt. I quickly apologized and cleaned the seat, and at that moment, my forehead was covered in tiny beads of sweat. Because I had caused trouble for the driver, I didn't dare to make the request for a fast food dinner in the car again - the deformed sandwich box and the spilled coffee.
In the original plan, I had reserved enough buffer time to travel from the university town to Jiangbei International Airport - considering that I had already checked in on my phone, only carried a small suitcase, and could go through the VIP channel for security checks, there should be no need to worry about time. Unfortunately, what I didn't expect was that the usually smooth road was unusually congested that day. As I watched the seconds tick away, my anxiety grew, worrying that missing the flight would disrupt all subsequent arrangements. Fortunately, time was still on my side, and I finally arrived at the airport at 19:45, completed the security check at 19:55, and took an airport electric car to the boarding gate, just in time for the original boarding time of 20:10. However, when I marveled at how precise my timing calculation was at 20:06, I received a delay notification, and the boarding time was changed to 21:45.
During the security check, both aisles were filled with middle-aged men wearing black pants and white shirts - unfortunately, I was also dressed in this way, and there were coffee stains on my shirt. The dried coffee stains looked somewhat like bloodstains, so I received the "attention" of both the security passengers and the security officers while waiting in line for the security check. After learning about the flight delay, I immediately picked up my suitcase and went to the airport's changing room, changed into a clean set of clothes, and then sat quietly in the lounge, complaining to my friend about my unfortunate experience.
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Finally, I boarded the plane and sat in my preferred window seat 1K. This position is slightly more spacious compared to other rows in the business class, and I can also enjoy the view outside. Hainan Airlines, compared to other airlines, offers coconut water in their drink menu, which I happen to love for its refreshing taste.
The plane slowly taxied from the parking position to the runway, and finally, after a burst of acceleration, successfully left the ground and flew into the sky, symbolizing the official start of my National Day holiday in the year of Gui Mao.
This article is synchronized updated to xLog by Mix Space
The original link is https://ursprung.io/notes/19