During the spring break when I was thirteen, my family and I took a trip to the East Coast. Near the end of the week-long vacation, we made our final stop in Boston. On the last night, my family and I decided to pull an all-nighter because our flight to San Francisco was at 6:00 AM. That night our family went to the movies and then saw the incredible Blue Man Group. Afterward, the rental car was returned and off to the airport we went.

Because my family arrived at 1:30 AM, there was a substantial amount of time to kill. In further detail, we had from 1:30 AM to 6:00 AM to entertain ourselves. Unfortunately, the airport had a curfew, so we were the only ones there. A curfew is when an airport cannot have any flights after a specific time. The place was deathly quiet and smelled of stale coffee. The monumental escalators cycled back and forth, back and forth. Chained up stores would not let me omit the fact that we were imprisoned by a traveling institute. The maintenance crew mopped the grime off the floor, making it ready for the new batch of travelers to come. We were stranded.

Since there were no shops open, my brother and I had to make do with the things around the airport. While our parents slept sitting upright, we raced each other on the escalators, played with our iPods, and did everything that seemed exhilarating while there was still no one there. Forcing back drowsy eyes, I needed something to build up my stamina. Therefore everyone, except my dad, went down to the Dunkin’ Donuts to get some delectable donuts. To our dismay, the donuts weren’t out yet. “Ha! That’s the only bad thing that has happened our whole trip!” I joked to my weary brother. At a leisurely pace, we shuffled back over to our belongings and hoped for 6:00 AM.

As our family waited, waited, and waited, I started to get irritable. My mind became foggy. Minutes felt like hours and hours felt like weeks. Basically, my body longed for sleep. I even began talking back to my parents and making harsh remarks because the wait was too long. Also, the unattended Burger King beckoned my thirst for caffeine. The few people at the airport sat slouched in their chairs in desperate need of a luxurious bed. Then at around 4:30 the donuts came out, shops started to open, and more people began to arrive. After gorging on donuts, my brother and I checked out the shops while our parents tried to get in their last minute of sleep. I was ready to fall over as security opened and our family made it to the front of the line.



Security went smoothly and we were ready to board the plane. If I sat down, I knew I would be eluded to sleep. While I stood there, I thought about our epic trip. Our family travelled from Washington D.C. to Boston all in one week, seeing everything in between. We saw New York, New York, met Jimmy Fallon, visited incredible museums, and went to my aunt and uncle’s. The only bad part was flying home on a Sunday meant I had school the next day.

As the “now boarding” sign flickered on, I awakened from my doze and stepped afoot the United airplane. When I sat down, I passed out. All of a sudden, the loudspeaker came on and the pilot made an announcement. Not paying much attention, I noticed everyone was making fierce remarks while picking up their things and walking away. Then, I knew what was going on. For some bizarre reason, one of the engines was malfunctioning. “No! This can’t be happening! Why can’t an airline get something right for once?” I shrieked in an exhausted voice. Slowly standing up, we walked off the plane and into a universe a pure chaos.

After waiting several hours, we finally got a flight to Denver. Several more hours later, we finally got on a flight to San Francisco. From San Francisco, we still had a three hour drive to get home. Once our family got home utterly exhausted, we fell into our own beds, safe and sound.

Looking back on that day in the airport I realize that all things don’t go as they’re planned. Instead of getting upset that our flight was cancelled, I learned that I should have faced the facts that things happen. Also, the main thing I didn’t realize I had was patience. Being stuck at the airport really can help a guy deal with patience. As people always say, patience is a virtue. Even though that night at the Boston airport was stressing, I’m glad I had my loving family to share the experience with.