Misadventures of a so-called seasoned traveler, part two

Continued, from part one...

Once we boarded the train and settled in, we figured the excitement was behind us. This turned out to be not quite true, unfortunately. We deboarded at ‘Seffo’, checked our luggage, and headed towards security. The line was short, so we figured we were good. Until the security guard checked my driver’s license gave me a funny look and asked if I had an alternative form of ID. Yeah… no. Didn’t think to bring my passport for a domestic flight.

Turns out, my driver’s license had just expired six days earlier, on my birthday. So, in addition to having to say GOODBYE to my twenties (sniff), turning thirty also means I have been driving illegally! Dangit! Isn’t the DMV supposed to send me a little form thingy in the mail for situations like this? C’mon, where are my tax dollars at work? And now what was I supposed to do? Would I miss my flight?

PTL, American Airlines did not automatically boot this distraught thirty-year-old with the recently expired ID. Instead, they sent me to the secondary screening to check me for bomb residue. The security personnel ushered me into a phone booth-like glass chamber, warned that I was about to be SHOT with super-power air vents, and recommended I hold my shirt down! Puffs of air shot up at me from the floor, then a little machine analyzed the air for any trace of residue. A weird experience, to be sure, but in a surprisingly short amount of time, they fortunately determined I was not a terrorist and sent me on to my flight.

The good news is, the excitement ended there, and we were able to enjoy a smooth flight through Chicago (yes, I can now say I’ve been in Chicago!) to our final destination here in Atlanta.

I do plan to blog throughout the convention, and look forward to sharing more stories of our experience throughout this weekend. (As soon as I get more time to write, I hope to blog about my visit with world race teammates Laura and Ashley, as well as some tidbits from our “Critical Concerns Course”, an eight hour in-depth look at youth ministry models. It’s been good stuff.)