You decide that this isn't worth the trouble and call your parents to come back and pick you up. Needless to say, they aren't happy whatsoever.

You remove your belt and put it in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Remove your shoes|shoesbeltpockets]]

You remove your belt and put it in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n\n[[Empty your pockets|pocketsbeltshoes]]

You remove your shoes and put them in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Remove your belt|beltshoes]]\n\n[[Remove your pockets|pocketsshoes]]

The worker furrows their eyebrows."Oh, ok, well you can't board with that bag." \n\n[["Ok, goodbye"|11b]]\n[["I changed my mind, I'll pay the fee."|10a]]

"Ok, that'll be $55." \n\nYou hand over your debit card, finish the transaction, and move away from the counter.\n\n[[Head toward security|14]]

You look up from your phone, to a jumble of weaving freeways, that all aim to complicate the route into Chicago. Tensions are running high, with a plane to catch at O'hare and the whole family in the car (the three of you, that is). This understandable pressure, of course, leads to less understandable snapping at each other, and general miscontent. You hear your mother speaking from behind your front passenger seat. Trying to lighten the mood, says, "Last time was only about a week in France, now you'll have three whole months! With all your classes being taught in French, you'll probably be fluent by the time you get back! Are you excited?" \n\n[["Well, yeah."|2]]

You remove your shoes and put them in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Empty your pockets|pocketsshoesbelt]]

You look about and see people bustling, hurrying to wait for their flights. People wait in line for baggage check, self check-in, security, and boarding. It's striking how people are in such a hurry just to sit and wait.\n\n[[Check in your baggage|8]]

You remove your shoes and put them in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Wait in line|line]]

You remove your belt and put it in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Empty your pockets|pocketsbelt]]\n\n[[Remove your shoes|shoesbelt]]

Flustered, you leave the suitcase standing near the baggage check counter. You hope you won't be needing any of its contents.\n\n\n[[Head toward security|14]]

You remove your belt and put it in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Wait in line|line]]

Your mother now makes her voice small, in her way which always grates your nerves. "I'll miss you," she says. You always hate when she says that. You hate lying and try to avoid it all costs and you know you should have missed her whenever she says it, but aren't sure whether it's the truth or just wishful thinking. She's your mother, you love her, so why do you have such trouble just saying you miss her? \n\n[["I'll miss you too!."|3a]]\n[["It's only three months, it's not too long."|3b]]

The airport grows in the distance, and your heart flutters a bit. This isn't your first flight, but you get a similar sense of excitement as the first. There's just something about airports, a sense of adventure and change that just resonates with you. Slightly nervous as well, you hope you'll be able to find your gate without problem.\n\nThe van finally pulls up to the unloading area for departures, where they cut short and potential lengthy goodbyes by threatening swift towings for hogging the parking spots at the curb. \n\n[[Get out of the van|6]]\n

"Bye, I love you forever!" they say in turn as you hug them goodbye. You respond with the same. Your mother needs multiple hugs, of course, this is tough on her. It's less tough on your father, of course, as he is generally less outwardly emotional and, having traveled the world himself, is less worried. She adds, "Let us know you get there safely!"\nThey turn and head out the large, sliding doors.\n\n[[Check in your baggage|8]]\n[[Look around|7.5]]

You dismount from the van, and began to unload your bags: a heavy suitcase to check, a carry-on bag, and a laptop bag. You spy a self check-in kiosk and begin to check in, your parents hovering nearby. You eventually manage it, and turn back to your parents. \n\n[["You better get going, you don't want to get towed."|7]]

"Okay! May I see your boarding pass?" \n\nYou hand the worker your pass and continue with the transaction, eventually lifting your suitcase up unto the scale.\n\nThe worker then says, "Sorry, but this is over the 50 pound limit. Would you like to pay an overweight baggage fee?"\n\n\n[["Yes."|10a]]\n[["No."|10b]]

Décollage\n

Your stomach drops, and a twinge of guilt settles itself right above your right eye. You can feel your mothers teary-eyed smile from her place in the back seat. "We'll skype won't we?" she croaks.\n\n[["Yeah, of course."|4]]

\tAfter about five minutes of traversing O'hare, you arrive at your gate and get settled, sitting down and placing your bags on the seats adjacent. Two hours to wait, great. \n\n\tYou look around and see some women about your age sitting closer to the gate entrance. You wonder whether they're in the same study abroad program. It'll be interesting having female in the classroom after two years at an all-male college. You're not one to complain about more girls around, after all. At the same time, you're not much of a looker at 220 pounds and 5'8" tall. \n\n\tYou look out the window and gaze upon the planes of various sizes and models occupying the runways and gates. Your last time flying had been fun, Well, the flying part had been fun. The many hours of being confined to a tiny seat hadn't been. You feel butterflies of anticipation as you think forward to the flight. Uncertainty and anxiety loom on the horizon as well. You worry about being able to meet up with your host. How will you contact him after arriving? Is your french good enough to manage in Paris? You push the anxiety to the back of your mind, instead focusing on the atmosphere of the airport, of adventure and new beginnings, that you like so much. \n\nYou settle back into your seat, a small smile on your lips.

You collect your items from the conveyor belt. Everything's there, as you expected it would be. You look around for the sign indicating your gate and head in the instructed direction.\n\n[[Head toward your gate|gate]]

You remove your belt and put it in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Wait in line|line]]

You sheepishly get back in line, eventually reaching the counter. By hazard, the same respresentative greets you with a slight grin.\n\n"How can I help you?"\n\n[["I'd, uhh, like to check this bag."|9]]

The worker looks truly puzzled. \n\n"Next, please," they say.\n\nYou step away from the counter and question what to do next. You could eat crow and pay the fee or just not bring the bag\n\n[[Get back into the line|11c]]\n[[Leave the bag at baggage check and continue without it|14a]]\n[[Lighten the bag, discarding some items|12]]\n[[Abandon the flight|12b]]

You remove your shoes and put them in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n\n[[Wait in line|line]]

You empty your pockets and put the contents in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n\n[[Wait in line|line]]

You file into the line for baggage check. How much did the bag weigh? You have no clue. The limit is 50 pounds. Do they still let you take it if its over that, or do you have to shamefully throw unnecessary items away, while other travellers look on. You eventually approach the desk, and the worker greets, "Hello!"\n\n[["Hi, I'd like to check this bag."|9]]

You empty your pockets and put the contents in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n\n[[Wait in line|line]]

She squeaks, "But you're our boy! You've never been away from us before!" It was true, if not melodramatic, going to college 15 minutes from home didn't really mean completely quitting the roost and toughing it on your own.\n\n[["It's not like we won't be able to talk. We have the internet."|4]]

You stand in line, looking around at other people, judging their emotions. Some seemed stressed and aggravated. Airports can, indeed, be stressful. Others have blank faces, either from pain or a true nothingness going on in their minds. Some seem impatient, they have better things to do than wait in line. Then there are the excited ones, the people that can't wait to get into the air and to whatever new stage of life they are moving on to. You identify with this group.\n\nFinally, it's your turn at the full-body scanner. The TSA worker motions you forward.\n\n[[Step into the scanner|scanner]]

You lift the bag back up onto the scale, feeling the discarded shoes in its decreased weight.\n\n"Yep, 49.5 pounds" the worker says.\n\nYou feel relieved. You then finish the transaction and step away from the counter.\n\n[[Head to security|14]]

You decide to discard a pair of shoes and some shorts in order to lighten the bag. Feeling confident that the bag is now light enough, you get back in line and finally stand in front of the baggage check worker again.\n\nThey say, "Get everything settled?"\n\n[["Yes, I think it's under 50 now."|13]]

You step into the scanner, holding your arms out as instructed. You are soon cleared to move on, as nothing was found on you, of course.\n\n[[Collect items from security check|itemcollection]]

You arrive at the security checkpoint and pick the shortest looking line. You read the posted rules for passing through while placing your laptop bag and carry-on on the conveyor belt:\n\nEMPTY POCKETS\n\nREMOVE SHOES \n\nREMOVE BELT\n\n[[Empty your pockets|pockets]]\n[[Remove your shoes|shoes]]\n[[Remove your belt|belt]]\n\n\n\n\n\n

You empty your pockets and put the contents in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n\n[[Remove your belt|beltpockets]]\n\n[[Remove your shoes|shoespockets]]

Luke Walker

You empty your pockets and put the contents in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n\n\n[[Empty your pockets|beltpocketsshoes]]

You remove your shoes and put them in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Remove your belt|beltshoespockets]]

You empty your pockets and put the contents in the bin on the conveyor belt as you inch toward the full-body scan.\n\n[[Remove your shoes|shoespocketsbelt]]