I've arrived in Seattle, with a 3 hour layover, then onto a red eye flight into Houston, three more hours there, then on to Honduras. Travel, and long motorcycle rides, always seem to open my mind up. Like a barn full of sparrows, that suddenly has the door opened, so the birds fly out into the world. I start thinking about what I want to accomplish with my life, not just on the trip, but after. I also use the time to think about my personal pitfalls, and what I could've done better, what I hope to do better in the future. I've been restless lately, which has made me short tempered. If not outwardly, then inside my head for sure. When I arrived at the airport in Billings, there was a glitch with my Global Entry and I was not given TSA pre check status. Billings is a small airport, and I was there in more than enough time to make my flight, however I had packed for pre check status. After my last trip to Haiti, I decided to give myself the gift of Global Entry for my birthday. How it works is you give the government a big wad of cash, your life story from the last 10 years, and you submit to an interview with security officers. Once you're cleared, you are able to fly through customs, and (in most cases) are eligible for TSA pre check. No more taking your shoes off, no more pulling out your liquids at security, etc... I digress. I packed with the intent of fitting the most amount of necessary stuff in the least amount of luggage. I did not separate my liquids into a specific, separate bag and I did not worry about where my lotion or eye drops were located. Because of this glitch, I had to open up my luggage and dig through everything to consolidate the liquids. I was not a happy camper, as my besties can attest, and zipped off a couple of pissy text messages about it. I spent $100, and a lot of hours, to save me this kind of trouble. I made it through security, barefoot and liquid-separate, with time to spare, grabbed an ice tea at the cafe, and was promptly smacked up side the head by madam Irony. Here I was, behaving like a snotty, travel Princess, on my way to one of the poorest countries in Central America. I was embarrassed and ashamed of myself...and promptly admitted my blunder to my friends, and put myself in a time out. I spent most of the two hour flight to Seattle thinking about how I can be better, more grateful, less quick to lose patience...with everyone else, and also myself. I truly make a conscious effort to be grateful, every day, for what I have. A job I love, the most incredible friends and family a person could ask for, opportunities that so many in the world don't have. Maybe I would forget to do that if I didn't have a lapse in sanity once in awhile. Who knows. What I do know is that I am about to embark on a wonderful adventure, that would not be possible without the support of friends and family, I have an incredible job to return to, I have just had a delicious meal of wine and cheese, and I am determined to be the very best human that I can be. Wish me luck! Ox