In the meantime...

 I had a couple of weeks between my interview and waiver appointment. It was a perfect opportunity to spend time with my family. I hadn't seen most of them in almost twenty years, and I was really excited about spending time with them. Buying a couple of plane tickets would also be less expensive than staying in Ciudad Juarez the whole time between my appointments. It would also take less of a toll on my emotional well being.

My flight left very early on a Tuesday morning. It was still very dark when I had to leave, so the owners of the hostel were reluctant to drive me to the airport. They have a driver on staff, and my flight was before he even had to be at work. The alternative was hiring a taxi, which is not really the safest choice. Fortunately, the driver was willing to drive me to the airport on his own time.

The Juarez airport is pretty small, and my check-in was uneventful. Except for I accidentally left a bottle of lotion in my carry on. I was hoping that Mexican airport laws would be a little more lax than in America. They were not. So it went into the garbage.

I don't really remember much from that particular flight, but I counted how many total flights I took during my trip. I counted seven total flights. I think I flew more in the month of April than I have in my entire life. I don't ever really want to see the inside of an airport, or airplane, or hear one more flight safety speech any more. I get very restless during flights, and because I can't really afford first class at the moment, there was not a whole lot I could do except sit there and figure out which was of sitting was the least uncomfortable.

I usually enjoy the window seats for the view, and because it if the lesser of three evils. The problem with the isle seat is that you have to get up anytime anyone wants to leave their seat. Anytime the flight attendant comes down the aisle with the drink cart she has to reach over you to give the other people their drinks and snacks. That drink cart can also be very painful if it runs into your misplaced elbow.

The middle seat is a problem because you are sitting between two people. If those two people decide they want the arm rest you will spend the entire flight trying to make yourself as compact as possible. The issue are multiplied if you are sitting by complete strangers. I hardly ever get the middle seat.

The window seat is my favorite, but it is not without its drawbacks. I think we have all noticed most airplanes

 are cylindrical in shape. If you are in the window seat your foot that is on the window side will be very uncomfortable because the plane starts to curve, which doesn't let you rest your foot flat on the floor of the plane. I know these are first world problems, but I wondering of this bothers anyone else. 

Of course, the good part of the window seat is the view. I love looking out the window throughout the flight. I enjoy the takeoff, watching everything below me become smaller and smaller, and finally I enjoy the landing.One of my favorite flights was from Mexico City to Ciudad Juarez. The name of the airline was Interjet. They had a screen at the front of the plane that showed feeds from various cameras on the plane. During the flight the screen displayed different types of information such as fuel consumption and the flight location on a map.

During the trip I had the privilege of visiting several airports including, Mexico City, El Paso, Dallas-Fort Worth, and of course Portland. I have come to the scientific conclusion that the Portland Airport is one of the best in the country. I don't really know how this post turned into an airport/airplane seat review post, but I guess it is alright considering this is a travel blog. So let me share one of the worst airport experiences I have had.

For my flight to Ciudad Juarez to Mexico City I had to spend several hours at the airport. I had an early morning flight which I missed, but I was able to book a flight in the afternoon. Unfortunately, this meant I had to wait for a really long time. I couldn't even check my bags or go through security. The first this I discovered was that there was absolutely no place to rest comfortably. I found some stairs to sit at, but it was a high traffic area. Any time I wanted to go somewhere I had to take all my bags with me. They were not light, or easy to maneuver. After walking around for a few minutes I found a hallway that was away from everyone, and where I could stretch out and relax. I was sleep deprived, but I could not sleep for fear of my things being stolen.

Finally the time came to check my bags and go through security. I went through security without incident, and I made my way to the waiting area. My ticket didn't have the terminal printed on it so I didn't really know where to go. While I waited I sampled some of the local cuisine. I had Subway, It didn't taste too good.
 
I found a place to sit while I waited for my flight information to show up on the screen. That is where things went slightly crazy. I am always nervous before a flight right up until the point where I am sitting in the plane. I'm nervous about arriving on time, checking in, going through security, and finding my terminal. Once I am in my seat I can relax and enjoy the flight.

So the fact that I wasn't getting the flight information was not helping my nerves. I had to be in Juarez the next day for my waiver appointment. There was nothing I could do but wait. So I waited.

When the information finally came on the screen, I walked to the terminal which wasn't that far from where I was waiting, and I sat down to wait for my flight. I didn't wait very long before I boarded the plane, and we were off to Juarez. The flight was uneventful, but enjoyable. The plane had a screen that showed different views from cameras that were on the outside of the airplane. During take-off and landing you could see what it looked like from the nose and belly of the plane.

Once we got the the airport I got a taxi to take me back to the hostel. They were all surprised I was back so soon. There is usually at least two months between appointments, but I was able to get mine quicker than most.

My waiver appointment was the very next morning. I settled into my room, and got to bed, but not before taking some time to reflect on the memories I had made with my family. I wish I had more time with them, but I am also excited that I can visit anytime that my finances permit me to do so. I also can't wait to take my wife. I want her to see where I come from, and to meet my family.