It has been a while since I posted anything new and excited to share what I have been up to in that time!

28 February 2023 – Atlanta, GA, USA, and International Airspace

Today is the day I leave for my next adventure! A few hours of work this morning to wrap of a few loose ends, a few meetings, lunch, and I am on my way. 

R dropped me at the airport and I found myself getting emotional! A sudden rush of excitement, nerves, and a little bit of sadness washed over me while standing in line to check in. I admit that I wasn’t expecting the nerves and sadness. I’m nervous because this is a big trip and, as far as solo trips go, this is a tremendous trip. I’m sad because I already miss R and because I appreciate him taking on single dog dad duties while I am away. I’ll have to plan an adventure for both of us soon! 

R dropped me off at the international departures terminal at Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The drop off line was much shorter and smoother than I expected, especially compared to a recent experience at the domestic terminal. R helped me get my bags out of the car and we were able to have a proper hug and goodbye. 

Inside the airport, I made my way to check in. One small learning, I booked through Delta Airlines but, because the flight is operated by Delta partner Virgin Atlantic, I had to go to the Virgin Atlantic check-in counter. The process was smooth with a brief wait before finding my way to TSA where I had an exceptional experience. Efficient, calm, and fast. Another stark comparison to recent experiences in the domestic terminal. Even without the TSA CLEAR option on the international side, I spent less time clearing security for an international flight than it has taken for domestic flights of late. 

I stopped by the Delta Airlines Sky Club, only to realize I did not bring my credit card so no Sky Club access for me today. I didn’t mind though. My gate was quiet and I was able to wrap up a couple last minute loose ends for work before taking some time to journal a bit. I was also able to chat with a couple from Essex who are returning home after visiting their son who is working in Fayetteville, GA. 

The boarding process was fairly quick even with the passport validation step. It was a bit interesting to see Delta staff working the counter (purple uniforms) but once onboard it was clearly a Virgin Atlantic flight (red uniforms). My ticket was for the premium class cabin. For those familiar with US domestic flights, think the first class cabin. I was not in a lay flat bed seat but did have plenty of room to stash my carry on and personal item. The premium cabin was set up in a 2-4-2 configuration and I was in the one of the 2 seat sections. The flight turned out to be at roughly 1/3 capacity so there were open seats in all the cabins. I did have a seatmate for the flight as neither I nor the gentleman next to me particularly minded. 

My seat came with an in-seat monitor, a set of headphones, small pillow, fleece blanket, and goodie bag which included an eye mask, ear plugs, a pen, a bamboo toothbrush, and toothpaste.  The premium cabin did have a larger in-seat monitor (approximately 14 inches) for entertainment and offered a selection of movies, TV series, music, highlights for the various destination cities, and a flight tracker option. I settled in to watch Bullet Train and found myself giggling at the crude humor and Brad Pitt in therapy … it’s worth a watch in my opinion. 

A welcome drink option of prosecco or orange juice was offered prior to takeoff. I selected the prosecco as a little treat to myself and to help ease my nerves. I’m not a nervous traveler but, as I said before, this is my first international solo trip and there is a lot of excitement, anticipation, and some nerves. Once airborne, flight attendants came through the cabin with pretzels and drink options including water, soda, tea, and alcohol. Soon it was time to peruse the menu for dinner options.