01/22/2025
Here is the adventure of a travel agent in the height of the pandemic! Enjoy this mismatched story written as the events were happening! 🫡
Monday, December 14th, 2020
I woke up at 3:30 am, a wave of dread washing over me. I should have booked the 8 am flight, not the 6 am. Exhausted, I almost canceled the whole trip. Stumbling to my desk, I wolfed down a bagel, still half-asleep, and then, in a moment of sheer absurdity, I walked out of my dorm in one Croc and one tennis shoe. After a quick shower, I finally got ready for this crazy adventure.
I left my dorm at 4:15 am, arriving at the airport by 4:30. I printed my boarding passes and breezed through TSA. By 6 am, I was on the plane, and within ten minutes, I was sound asleep. Luckily, I had an empty row to myself, so no one had to witness my drooling.
We landed at 7 am. I wandered around the airport, debating whether to head home or continue with my adventure. The allure of the Mall of America or a relaxing day at the casino was strong. But then, the spirit of adventure kicked in. I decided to push on to Washington D.C.
At Gate G1, they announced boarding for all main cabin passengers. When I approached the podium, they had an issue with my ticket. We were scheduled to depart at 9 am, but thankfully, they resolved the problem.
The flight attendants passed out snack bags containing Cheese-Its, bottled water, Biscoff cookies, and a hand sanitizer wipe. This was during the height of the pandemic, so everything was individually wrapped, and the aircraft was meticulously sanitized. Social distancing was enforced, and of course, masks were mandatory.
The guy next to me, a successful businessman, was on the phone, loudly discussing some massive deal with a client.
The flight from MSP to DCA was a blur. I took another nap, hoping I didn't snore, but the inside of my mask was definitely damp from drooling.
After landing in D.C., I explored the impressive Delta terminal, with its gold-vaulted ceilings, a giant Christmas tree in the lobby, ticketing upstairs, and terminals downstairs. There were plenty of shops and dining options.
I was starving, so I grabbed a ham and Swiss panini from a bagel shop in the terminal. It was 12:00 pm D.C. time, and I hadn't eaten since 3:00 am. After quickly devouring the panini, I explored the airport, admiring the Christmas decorations.
Next, I had to figure out how to get to the National Mall. A Delta representative recommended an Uber, which he said would only take about 15 minutes. I ordered an Uber and waited at Door 2.
My driver, Phil, informed me that many buildings were closed due to COVID-19 or the rain. "I guess I didn't pick the best time to come," I thought.
As we drove towards the White House Visitor Center, Phil provided an impromptu tour, pointing out key landmarks like the Washington Monument, the Dwight D. Eisenhower Office Space, the Supreme Court, the Red Cross Building, the African Women's History Museum, and more. I was surprised to learn that D.C. had a population of 1 million people.
One of the places I was most disappointed to find closed was the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.
Phil continued to drive me around, giving me a glimpse of the city. He then dropped me off at the Washington Monument.
I started walking down a sidewalk and immediately got in trouble. It was an employee-only area. Oops! I quickly apologized and continued on my way.
I called a family member to update her on my whereabouts. She didn't know I was going to D.C. When I told her where I was, she pulled up my location on Google Earth and followed my progress in real-time. I would describe where I wanted to go, and she would guide me.
I walked several blocks past the National Monument, passing hotels and eventually reaching the Treasury Department, impressively adorned with wreaths and garland for Christmas.
I walked past the Washington Monument again and eventually reached the entrance to a park, the Ellipse Visitors Center. There, I purchased a White House Christmas ornament and marveled at the towering National Christmas Tree. Although it wasn't lit up yet, it was still incredibly festive with countless lights. I wished I could have seen it illuminated.
Surrounding the National Christmas Tree were 50 smaller pine trees, each representing a state. Each tree was decorated with ornaments featuring artwork created by children from that state. The winning ornaments for North Dakota were from Kindred School.
I had the best view of the White House from that location.
Afterward, I continued walking, and walking, and walking. I walked for over a mile, passing the Dwight D. Eisenhower Office Buildings and the Smithsonian's. I stopped at a sandwich shop for a quick break. I ordered a Sprite, and the waiter graciously gave it to me for free.
I checked the time: 3:00 pm. My flight back to MSP was at 5:40 pm. I needed to hustle back to the Washington Monument and then walk another five blocks if I wanted to see the Lincoln Memorial. I had one hour to make it.
It took me 20 minutes to reach the Lincoln Memorial. But I made it! I took a shortcut through a park and snapped an amazing selfie with the Washington Monument reflecting in the water. I saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and a statue honoring fallen soldiers before finally reaching the Lincoln Memorial.
Honestly, it wasn't as big as I imagined.
I descended the long marble steps and walked back to the main road to order an Uber back to the airport.
The driver took me back to the airport, where the ticket trainwreck began. I tried to check in at the Delta kiosks but was directed to see an agent. The agent couldn't check me in because my reservation kept printing my old boarding pass and an e-credit.
Confused, I told him I would call Delta. I tried to call, but it took forever to find an outlet in the airport because my phone was at 1%. Finally, I connected with a Delta representative.
We worked through the issue, but now my return flight from DCA to MSP wasn't showing up at all. It turned out that the reservation had never been ticketed. I canceled the incorrect reservation and booked a new one.
After a total of 45 minutes, I finally made it through security. I had booked a TSA Precheck appointment for the next day, but the wait at both airports was less than 20 minutes.
Security was a breeze. I showed my ID and boarding pass and was quickly cleared.
I arrived at my gate, G1, with 45 minutes to spare. I went to the restroom to regroup after the ticketing debacle.
I boarded the plane – Comfort Plus. More legroom and comfortable seats. I slept soundly for most of the flight back to Minneapolis.
When I landed in Minneapolis, I was starving. I ate at Panda Express in the mall – orange chicken and pasta. This was a huge mistake. I felt sick on the way home. Unfortunately, all the good restaurants were closed, so I had to settle for airport Chinese food. This was a decision that haunted me all the way back to Fargo. Never, ever get airport Chinese food.
I walked to my gate and boarded the plane, seated in Main Cabin 2. The flight back was quick – just 50 minutes. I had an entire row to myself and could really spread out.
I arrived back in Fargo at 10:50 pm.
I went straight to bed as soon as I got home.
So ends a one day, very interesting trip.
I didn't have time to explore any nice restaurants or shops because many were closed due to COVID-19, and I wanted to see as many monuments as possible. The architecture in D.C. was truly amazing!
The amount of construction in D.C. was astonishing. It made the city feel disorganized and unwelcoming. I later learned that much of the construction was in preparation for the upcoming inauguration, but the protests also contributed to the feeling of disarray.
Keep in mind that it was raining the entire time I was walking around. I was stepping in puddles, my feet were freezing and soaking wet, and my coat was drenched, but I somehow managed to stay dry.
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