I can thank the polar vectors for this one. Thanks to that wacky weather, I had the opportunity to spend the night at Orlando International Airport. Yes.... last night....
Backstory: Flight was delayed and then again and then there were headwinds.
Result: Arrive at airport at 1:15 in the morning. There is a 1 1/2 hour wait to get a taxi. No shuttles were running. I didn't feel like walking 2.6 miles lugging all of my stuff.
Solution: Sleep at the airport (I want to send a shout out thanks to the 4 people who were demonstrating various techniques for me to consider my options).
Benefit: Got more sleep than I would have otherwise and I saved my company a $170 hotel bill.
Things you should consider if sleeping at the airport is on your bucket list:
1) Get there before 1:30 am or you will not get a spot that cozies up to a pillar (this appears to be important for protection, comfort, and ambience).
2) Back up plan: Get the comfiest chair you can. This seems to work well if you can slump down to the head rest OR your have a suitcase tall enough on which you can rest your head.
(Thankfully I got the last pillar area. Although I should note that it was closest to the door so you will need to make sure to read number 4 carefully as it will pertain to you if this happens.)
3) Plan ahead - way ahead. Think now about purchasing a soft sided briefcase if you don't already own one. They make for better pillows (mine is quilted even).
4) Pack sensibly. If say you have to bring your company table cloth with you to the conference you are attending, think outside the table. This makes a fine blanket..... your call on whether to sleep with the logo up or facing you. It will keep the breeze from the door opening at bay.
5) Just sleep with one arm through the strap to your luggage so you "keep your luggage close" as the airport announcer likes to suggest on average twice an hour.
6) Wake up early - I naturally woke about 5 minutes before my 5 am alarm went off and thought this would be a good time to get out of the way of soon to be coming travelers. It is the perfect time to shlep all of your stuff out in the handicap stall of the bathroom so you can plug in your flatiron, change clothes (for the record all of the actors in action movies that change in airport stalls in 6 seconds need to give lessons), apply makeup, wipe the airport traffic marks off of your face, etc... Fortunately no one cares how long you take a 5 am, which is good because in my own home I can shower and get "prom ready" in 20 minutes. It took me thirty minutes just to not whimper in those darn bathroom lights - they show every wrinkle.
And here is just a generic tip for all travelers - if everyone could kick their nicotine habit, then the airport would not need hourly announcements to interrupt their REM cycle music to announce that the FAA does not permit cigarette smoking. I'm pretty confident they announce this every hour and I can confirm all but the 4 am one. I apparently did hit one REM cycle and slept through that announcement.
Pardon any sleep deprived ramblings today, I've been busy working on my bucket list.
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