Travel Day

Time to go.
I shove any last minute thoughts of chickening out to the back of my brain and hop in a cab,
my duffel bag and backpack on my shoulder.
Did I bring everything I'll need?
Did I forget anything?
Too late now.
My flights go smoothly. No delays.
Austin to Dallas.
Dallas to Dubai.
Dubai to Dehli, India.
Now the fun starts.
The lady at American Airlines in Austin only checked my bag through to Dehli.
I have a 14 hour layover here.
The only problem is I don't have an Indian Visa.
I can't enter the country.
Apparently baggage claim is considered IN the country.
Welcome to India.
I've been flying for 24 hours and I'm fried.
What to do?
Luckily this guy that works for Emirates Airlines (the plane I just got off of)
gets on his radio and figures out that HE can get my bag and check it into my next flight.
He just needs my passport.
Oh God.
The last bit of security i have.
I offer him a photocopy but he says he needs the actual passport.
As he disappears down the hall, I contemplate spending the night here in this weird section of the Dehli
airport.
Unable to go on to Kathmandu because I don't have my passport.
Not in India but in purgatory.
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