“When you have insomnia, you’re never really asleep, but you’re never really awake…”
- Quote from Fight Club
I relate to this in a literal sort of way after traveling. I’m not an insomniac by any means but even if I manage to sleep on a plane, I wake up unsure; despite all signs that point to the obvious, of where I actually am.
So while I can read a road sign that says “Hey dumbass, you’re in Marone, Spain” My head can’t seem to wrap it’s awareness around that fact and I still feel like the universe is playing some cruel trick on me.
Instead it goes back to what’s familiar, sitting on the flightline at Dover AFB, inside a C5-M Galaxy, convinced they’re going to slip the mission due to maintenance issues, after the three. separate. times we’ve tried before to depart… will they finally get off the ground?
Success We take off! I wake up 3 hours later “Christ it’s cold” I mutter as a wrap myself up in a hoodie and move to the back of the seating area where it’s a little warmer. Finally 4? 5? 6? (I’ve lost track) hours later we land… oh look… my cell phone wont connect to the local network. Great. Wait… I’m in Spain? Shit I really am traveling.
We step off the plane, bags in hand; it’s windy and hot.
“Hey they sent a car to take us to the rental place, awesome! That’s nice of them.”
A short drive later, we get to where the rental place is supposed to be. The car creeps to stop and we step out “What? You’ll wait to make sure we’re good? that’s awesome man thanks!” We' leave the car behind and walk into a building that serves as a Library, a Dunkin Donuts, and Subway all in one. Oh! there’s the rental place!
WTF? Why is the rental car place is closed at 1300 we exclaim in grumpy, insolent tones “okay…. let me go talk to lodging.”
My counterparts wait while I talk to lodging.
Lodging refers me to someone else.
Someone else tells me the same car that dropped us off is now on their way back to get us.
The gentlemen in the car that eventually creeps to a stop in front of the hotel regale us with a tale that they were turning around on the highway to verify that we were okay when they got a call to come back and pick us up…. improbable but okay.
Finally…. we make it to the hotel.
My phone still wont work.
AT&T can suck it. Suck it hard.
Oh… hello beer, nice to see you too.