Red-Eyes.

We got home this morning after taking the red-eye out of Seattle last night. Red-eye flights make me think of my little (big) brother, Paul. Once, when he was really young, we were taking a red-eye to come East and visit the family. We got on the plane and the first thing he did was turn to my mom and say, 


"Mom! Are my eyes red yet?"


He was the cutest little boy. Now he's huge and still pretty cute. 


Speaking for Paul, Adam, and myself, our eyes certainly were red by the time we landed in Atlanta at 6:20 am this morning. Or was it 3:20 am? Well, the night before that it was 2:20 am. Time change + daylight savings + nope, no coffee yet = no clue what is going on in the world. 


I feel like I am losing my focus now. It's probably a result of everything above. Aaaaand anyway...


As we travelled home from a super awesome week of vacation I was reminded about how stressy of a flyer I am. Remember this post about "little-knowns"? Remember how I mentioned that I hate flying? No I don't hate traveling. I adore it. I just hate flying. These are some of the things that stress me out when I'm flying (we'll stick to domestic flights for now):


-Uncertainty about whether there is going to be a line the size of eternity at both the desk and security, or, whether I'll be able to walk right through both. Just how early should I get there? There's no telling! So the answer; really early. 


-Having to spend money on airport food if I get hungry. The prices are like 3x what they are everywhere else. Especially at coffee shops. 


-When people have to open up their suitcases in the airport. I can't even watch. Whether it is too heavy and they have to shift stuff around, or whether they are taking something out of their roller-board at security. Seeing people scramble around inside of their (messy) suitcases and wondering how they'll get it all back together neatly. Or even just zipped! Eeeks. And the thought of having to do it myself. Stress-indcucing. (Am I alone on this one?)


-The way Adam folds up his boarding pass until it's all wrinkly and puts it in his pocket. I can't explain this one. It just stresses me out. That's why I act like I'm his mother and make him give it to me to take care of/ensure it stays nice and crease-free till we board.


-Everyone crowding around to board the plane before their zone is called. 


-The air vents on the plane that feel like they are blowing dirty air on me.


-Wondering how annoyed the person behind me will be if I lean my seat back. 


-That feeling just before the wheels hit the ground and I get thrown all about.


-Checking the pocket in front of me 10x as I get off the plane to make sure I didn't leave any of the things that I (never) put in there, in there.


-Insufficient lay-over time/close connections/people taking forever to de-board when I'm trying to make a close connection/being seated near the back of the plane when said people are taking forever to de-board when I'm trying to make a close connection.


-Wondering whether my bag is going to pop up at the carousal or be lost for the 100th time. Also, wondering if when I get it back it will have a little notice that they looked through all my stuff underwear. 


Gosh, it is fun to go. And it's always great to come home. But, it's all that stressy stuff in-between that I really need to get over. I probably have red-eyes at the end of every trip, with this list of stressors!


Am I alone? What stresses you out when you fly? 
Or are you way more chill about it like my husband and most normal people?