Sitting at the gate is much more interesting than waiting in an airline lounge….I am usually at the airport early enough to do both.  This last trip was truly eye-opening. The first picture is just one family’s carry-on luggage.  I’m pretty sure they were waiting for the agent to declare that all seats will be full and so any luggage one wanted to check would be FREE OF CHARGE.  The other option was that one of their party was in a wheelchair which meant they’d all get on the plane first and fill up the bins.

As a dog owner I’d love to be able to bring my pet along but she’d find a way to totally embarrass me.  This service animal was incredibly well-behaved, even allowing a little girl who was a complete stranger to the man and dog, pull on the big puppy’s tail, ears, and step all over its paws.

I stopped taking photos because I was being intrusive but there was much more action and interesting people; one woman in particular who must have taken 30 minutes to get through security with her belts, jewelry, and totally bedazzled clothing.

And then there’s always the fun or fear of anticipating who of my fellow travelers would be sitting next to me…..