Phoenix: the predominating word of the trip thus far. Oh, and waiting. Spending twice the number of hours that I had slept the night before in the Phoenix airport is solely enough to exhaust me of this city.

This is how it went. [Third person point of view switch now in effect]. Cousin Amber drops Sam off at the airport at 7:00 am on a Tuesday morning. Sam on edge because Cousin Amber’s nanny told her the night before that she should wear compression stockings on flight because Sam is at risk for blood clots. But who has compression stockings just lying around? Really. Sam waits an hour and twenty minutes for the assigned check in time because Cousin Amber had work. Sam waits in line to check previously weighed, precisely 50.0 pound suitcase. Agent tells Sam that the suitcase weighs 55 pounds and she proceeds to attach a ‘HEAVY’ tag to it. After Sam gives her a questioning stare, agent moves the suitcase to the scale alongside it for a second witness. Suitcase weighs in at 51 pounds. Sam removes 2 shirts and a brush and the agent proclaims the suitcase fit for travel. Sam proceeds to the gate and waits the allotted 2 hours before her flight from Salt Lake to Phoenix boards. Sam spends the time socializing and talking on the phone, but mostly talking on the phone because social situations tend to make her uncomfortable. You see, Sam often times has an odd sense of humor and strangers tend to find her, well, strange. She also figured that she’d be living with the 50+ college students in her surroundings for 4 months, and she came to the conclusion that she had a valid excuse to take a back seat with respects to the social pressure. Sam boards the flight. Overhead compartments run out of room and Sam has to check her carry on. Sam sits next to Sarah and Cameron on the flight. Poor Sarah has faulty ears and the cabin pressure is painful. Sarah blows out her ears throughout the flight to relieve said pressure. Man who hands me my Ginger Ale looks like Mitchell from Modern Family, but with a far more entertaining laugh. More like a giggle. A man giggle. Sam de-boards the plane. Sam makes her way to the gate in order to board the plane from Phoenix to Philadelphia. Plane delayed an hour. Than an hour and a half. Then indefinitely. Flight cancelled. All passengers [BYU students excused] in an uproar. Wait in Phoenix airport for 8 hours. Sam actually interacted with people this time. She even arranged to split her meal voucher with Sarah so that they could get both CPK and ice cream. On a slightly less hygienic note, she also arranged to use Sarah’s underwear and toothbrush if her carry on bag had continued on to Tel Aviv. Kidding.

Final verdict: each person in Sam’s group would have a secured seat on a plane to Philadelphia a week from Tuesday. However, the BYU program directors were scrambling to book any availability before then. A week of waiting [in over 100 degree weather, might I add]. And so it begins. First night in Phoenix: group meeting. Invitation to Circle K by Matthew. Slurpee and [hypoglycemic] snacks bought. Moonwalk learned by Izak. Night [somewhat] salvaged. Sam shares a bed with Cortney, a red-head who likes to talk about poop almost as much as she does.