Day 1: Friday 3/16

As I’m writing this, I’m crossing the St Laurence north of Gaspésie, and I can see a pretty large coastal town out the window.

The silver line was a mess getting into the airport, but I spent most of the ride chatting with Anna Venne, who was heading home. Her wallet had just been stolen. We talked a bit about the semester, and she told me about how she’s going to Talloires for the summer.

Danny and I went through security separately. There was a family in front of me where the mom had never flown before, and the daughter was explaining to her how it all worked. The woman in front of them didn’t take her liquids or her computer out of her bag, and she was holding up the line. I put my bag through the machine ahead of her.

She sneered to me, “Are you missing your flight?”

“No.”

“Well then what you just did was very unettiquetty.”

I just kept walking. On the other side of security she insisted on putting on her shoes in front of the conveyor belt, which blocked the rest of us from getting to our bags until she was done.

Danny and I found the Airfrance lounge, which was quite French. There were vintage French travel posters everywhere, and several middle-aged men who looked (and sounded) quintessentially French. There was passable food, baguettes and cheese, and a fully stocked bar with at least five kids of wine. I got sushi (paired with white wine), a cheese plate, pasta and meatballs (with red of course), and cookies for dessert. Then I made myself a lime daiquiri, but accidentally put tonic water in. I remade it. It’s on Airfrance, after all, not on me.

I’m an hour or so into the flight now and I’m going to try to sleep. When I wake up, Danny will tell me his passport expired. I can already feel it.

I’m passing over Greenland now. I can’t sleep, so I’ve been listening to 99% Invisible and the Sporkful. I can see the northern lights out my window. At first I thought they were clouds until they glowed a bit lighter and started moving, in the way dye moves when dropped into water. They are faint green and have been fading in and out. The stars are also visible above. I hope that I get to see the stars and the northern lights while I’m on the ground, but even if I don’t, I’ve seen them.