My flight leaves late tomorrow—7:30 p.m.—but it's an international flight, my first since the goddamn-demic, so I have to be at the airport three hours early. I got two emailed notices, one from Delta and one from Korean Air, offering online check-in. Korean Air and Delta are both running this flight, but it's disconcerting to receive two separate offers to check in online, with two completely different booking-reference numbers, so I'm just going to check in the old-fashioned way—face to face at the counter. I've got laundry going right now, and the last of the garbage to take out. Tomorrow, before I leave, I need to shut off all electricity, water, etc. I also need to pull out about W200,000 in cash to change at the airport. I'll probably leave my apartment a bit after 2 p.m. I have to remember not to carry too much fluid in my carry-on bag, and my tech equipment (laptop, charger, etc.) also has to come with me as carry-on because, if checked in, the batteries could theoretically explode in the low pressure of the high atmosphere (the cargo hold is unpressurized). When I go through security, I have to remember to put my tech equipment in a separate tray for the x-ray. I have needles coming with me for my blood-sugar monitor; I'm packing those in my check-in bag, which is a little backpack I'd ordered via Coupang. I might need to get another, bigger check-in bag for the return home since I'll be carrying back a bunch of BochaSweet that I've already ordered and had shipped to my buddy Mike's place. (There's more on the way, Mike!)
The plan is for me to arrive at Dulles International at almost midnight on the 24th (the US east coast is currently 13 hours behind, so the 24th is prolonged for me as I cross the international dateline). On the morning of the 25th, I'm to go with Mike to the nearest PNC Bank branch to pick up a goddamn debit card, something I've been wanting since forever, but which PNC has never delivered to me. Next up: we drive to Enterprise car rental to get a car. I hope it'll have a Garmin dashboard GPS. That'll make things easier. I will then drive out to Manassas, where I'm staying at a Best Western. My 13,000-some guest points did almost nothing to bring down the price of a ten-night stay. How many points do you need to have to get a week for free? A million? Why bother with points at all? I'll settle into my hotel and try to find a place with a salad bar, or a grocery store that sells salads.
The following day, the 26th, I have my Virginia DMV appointment at the Front Royal office. I set the appointment early: 8:15 a.m. It being an appointment, I hope there's no line. (In fact, that's why I chose such an early time, and the Front Royal DMV, if I remember correctly, is a very small office. I'm hoping this will be quick and quiet.) My purpose at the DMV is (1) to renew my driver's license and if possible, (2) to get something called a "REAL ID" which, according to Mike, the government is going to start requiring for domestic flights and other purposes. The ID itself appears as a little hologram on your driver's license. The license's period of validity has also gone up from seven years to eight years, so I'll have some time before I have to worry about this bullshit again. If I don't get the REAL ID, I can still use my passport to fly domestically(!!).
The reason I'm staying in the States so long is that the driver's license takes 2-3 weeks to process, and if possible, I want to be there to receive it myself at Mike's house. There's still a chance that the license might not make it by the time I leave, but if that happens, Mike will send the license to me via international mail. So no stress.
As I while away the days, I'll be walking some trails in Shenandoah National Park, plus some local trails in Fredericksburg that Mike and his family know about. I'm staying in Manassas for ten days, then moving over to Mike's place in Fredericksburg for the rest of my time. I'll be cooking a few of my better dishes for the family, and maybe two batches of those keto-ish chocolate-chip cookies. I'm also bringing along two exercise bands to keep up with the resistance training; we'll see how that goes. Mike has gamely said he will be there both to pick me up at Dulles on the 24th and to drop me off there on April 13 (with the rental car obtained and returned in Fredericksburg). And just as the day will protract as I fly eastward, it's going to contract as I fly back west: I'll leave Virginia on the 13th and be back in Seoul on April 15. American Tax Day! Yay! I'll have escaped just in time.
Right now, I need to send my landlady her rent money and visit the Enterprise site to reserve a car for myself. More later!
Sounds like a well-orchestrated plan. I don't envy you that long flight. Hopefully, the middle seat will be empty the whole way. I've done those Delta/Korean Air code-share flights in the past. Being on a Korean Air plane is so much better, especially the helpful (and attractive) flight attendants. Guess you won't know who's flying the plane until you get to the airport.
ReplyDeleteThose hikes sound like the best part of the trip. I wasn't a hiker when I lived in the area, so I'll look forward to some photos of the scenery.
Safe travels!