Dad dropped me off at the airport in the arrivals part of the terminal—which, by the way, was weird. We had just seen two electronic boards giving drivers advice. The first said to use arrivals because departures were congested. Moments later, a second board said not to use arrivals at all. Confusing, right?
I walked into the terminal and took the escalator up to departures in the international terminal. I quickly used the restroom and, when I came out, realized I hadn’t finished my energy drink that I’d been sipping while my dad drove me to the airport. So I quickly—but also slowly—gulped most of it down and tossed the can into the recycling bin. I headed to Checkpoint 2 and went through security. All I’ll say is this: security wasn’t awful this time.
Once through, I checked the huge TV screens listing departures and arrivals and saw that my flight to Seoul was at Gate S11. That meant taking the underground train to another terminal. I followed the signs and ended up at an escalator that—of course—was broken. Talk about inconvenient. I grabbed my suitcase and carried it down like everyone else. Thankfully, the second escalator worked.
As we got closer, I noticed an underground train was already waiting. I picked up my pace, walked off the escalator, and just as the doors were about to close, I stuck my hand between them. The doors opened, and I stepped inside—perfect timing. I had a smile on my face. I got a few glances from people who saw what happened, but they kept to themselves. Honestly, I bet they would’ve done the same thing.
I got off at Terminal S, and thankfully, the escalators going up were working just fine. That was a long way up, and I definitely would’ve been out of breath by the time I reached the top. I walked to my gate and—lo and behold—someone from our team was already there.
After dropping my stuff off, I walked to the end of the terminal to fill up my water bottle. On the way back, I stopped at Hudson to grab a Diet Coke before the flight. They had self-checkout, but some of the machines weren’t working. You know what that means—waiting a little longer to pay for a single Diet Coke. I walked back to the gate with two other team members who were already hanging out there.
About twenty minutes later, an announcement came over the speakers: our gate had been moved to S15. Fantastic. Thankfully, it was just a short walk across the terminal. Honestly, if it had been a completely different terminal, I think I would’ve enjoyed the adventure.
We found seats near the boarding entrance and waited for the rest of our team to arrive. One by one, they trickled in. I sat there, relaxed, reading my book—A Rough Guide to Cambodia.
As simple as it sounds, Day 1 reminded me how much travel mirrors faith. Plans change, signs conflict, and sometimes the escalator breaks—but the journey still moves forward. Small moments of timing and provision show up when you least expect them, and you’re reminded that you’re not walking alone, even before the plane takes off.
To be continued…
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