It was the FCS championship for the beloved Montana football team. Thus, I was met with some familiar faces from high school while walking down the aisle. Flying out of Montana, the cabin was filled with white light.
I landed in Dallas at am. Zach, GTE summer program alumni and one of my closest friends, texted me that his flight from Dallas to Frankfurt was delayed eight hours when he came to GTE.
I jokingly replied that I would find a way to spend the time. However, my six-hour layover was already too long. When my flight was delayed the first time, I was excited to have similar landing times to my friends Maddie and Baran. When it was delayed the second and third time, I could still make the last shuttle provided by GTE. When it was delayed the fourth, fifth, and sixth time, I desperately needed a friend. I scanned the area, convincing myself that I had seen all the nineteen- and twenty-year-olds somewhere around campus.
Aarush let me know that he was with two others on the same flight. I found Aarush, Manish, and Jacob at our new gate. I swore a more familiar face walked by. I was determined to find everyone that I could, so I broke away to test my theory β am I delirious, or is that someone I recognize?
He introduced me to Ray who had been waiting in Dallas even longer than I had. The three of us sat at a charging station for an hour finding ways to get to Metz from Paris. I hoped I could figure out European transportation with Maddie and Baran when we planned our first trip in France. Instead, I had to learn in a heavy haze of stress.
