Airport Switcharoo

You know how they say to get to the airport 2.5 hours before an international flight? For example, for a 6pm flight you would probably leave your house at 2pm just to make sure you are there with enough time because what if you somehow get delayed, right? This idea always seemed a little extreme too me because I really don't understand how you could get THAT delayed by something. Well, that something might be that your dad picks you up in a rental car with your new puppy and you are having such a great chat about how it feels like yesterday you were coming home from Madrid and your dad was picking you up from Newark...as you are well into New Jersey going through a toll at 2:35pm your dad says "ok there is the sign for Newark, straight ahead." Suddenly you come back down to earth..."wait Newark? Aren't we supposed to be going to JFK?" That is what happened to me. A quick switcharoo back into the Holland Tunnel and out to the BQE and we were back on track.

So instead of arriving at the airport with three hours to feel even more anxious and excited about my trip I got there at 4pm and had just the right amount of time to relax with some vino, buy trashy magazines and converse with other travelers.

So THAT my friends is why you should always leave extra early for the airport because no matter how organized, NY savvy and type A you and your father are, you might get distracted by a cute puppy and old stories and take a detour through New Jersey.