And We're Off!

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 Today's the day! In fact I'm writing this from LAX so one flight down one to go.

My Covid test yesterday came back negative in the early afternoon (rather than right at the 7pm guarantee) which relieved considerable anxiety and made it easier to enjoy the evening with my family. My brother  came over for our traditional weekend family salmon dinner. I'm very lucky my nuclear family all live so close and it will be strange not being able to see them every week (or every day).

Another perk is that my parents are willing to drive me to the airport. We woke up early this morning to have plenty of time to get to SFO. All together my luggage weighs more than I do, so thankfully my parents parked rather than dropping me off at the curb.

There were no luggage carts in the parking structure so I had to go in to the baggage claim area to rent one since transporting my bags without it would have been impossible. The employee helping out at the United kiosk did ask to see my test results which made the long drive Saturday worth it. I probably could have haggled if I was expecting test results or planned to get tested in LA but I'm glad I didn't need to.  Once I was checked in and had my boarding passes the TSA precheck line was fast as usual. The $100 I spent on global entry has been one of the best quality of life investments I've made (along with a comfortable mattress, speedy computer, and hydration bladder). Once I was through security the airport felt fairly normal. The noticeable changes were a few stores and restaurants closed, smaller crowds, and everyone wearing masks. Similarly the only big change on the flight was LIFO boarding & exiting. Now that I'm at LAX I have a few hours to have a beer (or two) and relax before the adventure really begins. 
Location: Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), 1 World Way, Los Angeles, CA 90045, USA

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