can. For the outrageous price of $600 in flight credit on American, a night
at the Sheraton and 3 meals, I was more than willing to step aside and let
the airline give my seat to someone else. So instead of arriving in Belize
and beginning my long journey back to Blue Creek on the 2nd, I spent one
last night in the USA. Propped up by no less than 6 fluff pillows, I ordered
room service and watched late night TV, courtesy of American Airlines. The
hotel even took me to Walmart (don't judge me) so I could pick up some last
minute supplies.
The next day I arrived at the airport refreshed and ready to begin my
journey back to Blue Creek. My spirits were lifted when a fellow Belize
volunteer and I found out that we were traveling back on the same flight
together from Dallas. We tried to get adjacent seats, but the flight was too
full for any unnecessary switching. As the flight began boarding, I gathered
my things and handed my ticket to the agent. The little screen flashed the
message "duplicate seat" but the agent did not notice and waived me through.
My travel agent mother had warned me earlier that this flight was very full,
so I was not surprised to find someone already in my assigned seat. I turned
back to ask the flight attendant what to do, meanwhile mentally preparing
for an alternate mode of transportation back to Belize. He took my boarding
pass back up to the gate agent, leaving me to chat with the pilots as the
very full flight continued to board. He returned shortly and to my surprise
handed me a new boarding pass, "you'll be in seat 4B," he kindly told me. I
was standing right next to my new seat, in first class! I could hardly
contain my joy. Me, a lowly servant of the US Peace Corps, sitting in the
front of an international flight. I waived to my friend back in coach to let
him know I was still on the flight and took my seat as the doors were
closing. Warm mixed nuts and champagne found their way to my seat as we
taxied down the run-way. For lunch I enjoyed salmon, Cesar salad, and white
wine with a fancy chocolate for dessert. Three hours later I arrived in
Belize, warmed by the white and spoiled by the deluxe service, only to be
immediately ripped-off by my first taxi ride back into the city. I hauled my
bags from one to bus to the next on my long journey back to Blue Creek,
eventually making it back Friday morning. The reality of being back in my
home, Belize, was a good and bad thing. No more warm nuts and wine, but oh
how I missed that jungle green.
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