As I write this, I am 1,993 miles from Newark Airport, 37,013 feet in the air, cruising over the Carribean Sea, about to reach Panama, with 1,732 miles to go to reach Lima, Peru. It’s a 7 hour and 20 minute flight and I’m 5 hours in! So far I watched Les Miserables, and read more chapters of “Turn Right at Machu Pichu” by Mark Adams. Productive time spent so far.

Straight down to Lima!

I’m going to try and write about this 7 day trip at the end of every day so I can share this much awaited adventure. So as this is technically day 1, let me start at Gate 71, Terminal C…

So I have this not so great tendency to push things to the utmost possible limit, and I’m not too sure why I do it. I think it’s mostly because I subconsciously wanna see if I can get away with it. Usually as the plane is starting to board, I like to sit and wait until I can be one of the last people to board so I don’t have to stand and wait at the jet way or in the crowded plane aisle while passengers are stowing away their carry-ons. So I decided to use the bathroom. I come back and see the last group of people still awaiting to enter the plane so I continue to walk around. I find someone with a Starbucks cup and asked her where the Starbucks was. It was about a 3 minute run away so I hurry, and I see a long line and run back knowing that my time has run out..but then I see a Crumbs Cupcake spot and stupidly decide to get an ice coffee. Knowing quite well I was way beyond my time frame I quickly threw sugar and cream into the coffee and ran like the wind.
I’m huffing and puffing and scared to death to see that the doors were closed, knowing my mom and aunt were comfortably seated in the plane that I probably may not board. I exaggerated a genuine worried “OMG I’m so sorry! Please let me in! Feel sorry for me I’ll never do it again!” act just a tad. Gate agents aren’t always so kind but they did scare me and made me wait 2 minutes before they opened the doors back up for me. I don’t know why I never learn my lesson. I missed my flight last year going to the Dominican Republic because of my tendency to push limits. And I repeatedly missed my flight 3 times coming back home from there as well but that was partly on purpose.

In the span of writing all that, the plane covered a remarkable 250 or so miles. Almost there!

More street art near the Faraona Grand Hotel.