FLYING HOME

As most people know I'm Brazilian.  I try visiting my hometown once a year. The flight tickets are usually quite expensive requiring me to do an extensive research through the web until I find a reasonable price. This time I found an amazing deal with American Airlines.  The only downside was the time I would have to check-in - 3:45 am. 

I was so worried in loosing my flight that I ended up pulling an "all nigher". As a result I was feeling like a zombie the next day. To make things even worse my flight was delayed for 5 hours so I tried killing some time sketching airplanes in the airport.

I was so sleepy  I couldn't focus on my perspective at all. As a result, the airplane looked more like a abstract drawing that a 3 year old would do.

Ashamed  of that horrible drawing I tried changing the subject. I started sketching a large man on a suit but ended up coming up with another horrible abstract figure. I realized it was time to stop drawing.

Disappointed with my sketching skills I decided to read a book in story structure. It's hard to focus on the foundations of screenwriting when you are tired though....

It's even harder to focus when an annoying kid keeps moving his fat legs around while laughing out loud with no reason.

The chubby kid was persistent in annoying me. Frustrated, I had no choice but to give up my reading and stare at the floor for the next three hours.

Exhausted of staring at the floor,  I ended up falling asleep on the Airport chair.

 I woke up with an angry security guard yelling at my face for not keeping track of my bag. He also warned me about the danger of someone putting a bomb in my backpack and exploding me into pieces.

Worried in being terrorized, I had no choice but to buy me some expensive airport caffeine so it would keep me awake for the next two hours.

As you can see, one cup wasn't enough to keep me awake. The cheap deal I got with my flight tickets didn't compensate after all those ridiculously expensive coffees.

The large amount of caffeine really made me jittery. To make things even worse, on my way to the airplane I could see on the walls of the corridor yellow signs warning the passengers that the air of the hallway was toxic.

That completely freaked me out. I decided to hold my breath while crossing the hallway so I wouldn't inhale the contaminated air.

While I was on my way back to the safe air zone, A security lady pulled me aside and went through my backpack. After seeing tones of markers and pencils in my backpack she thought I was planning some sort of conspiracy. I told her the only thing I did with those pens was to draw funny cartoons at Disney. She wouldn't believe it so she asked me to draw her a mouse. By that time I finished the drawing the whole line had passed me already and I had breathe all the toxic air on the hallway.

Once I got into the airplane I noticed a lady struggling with her luggage. As everyone knows I've been working out so I thought that would be a great time to show off the strength of my muscles. That was my chance to feel good with myself at least once in this tiring trip.

How wrong I was about it. Her luggage was as heavy as an anvil and I couldn't barely lift it from the floor. My scrawny little legs were almost braking but I pretended I was just fine.

A huge and cocky marine dude came by and threw her bag in the compartment. He said " That's no job for a little boy." I felt so ashamed and humiliated. The lady seemed pleased with the Marine.

I guess I had no success at all in this trip.  Even my strong muscles failed on me. Well, At least I still had my seat.

I jumped on it and felt an amazing feeling of relaxation. Finally I would be able to get the rest I was longing in this comfortable chair.

Suddenly, a talkative Italian lady sat close to me.

... and that was the beginning of a beautiful friendship...and another sleepless journey.