connecting in Philadelphia en route to Tampa
Takeoff had been slightly delayed on my first flight, yet the crew landed us early in Philadelphia at 10:15am. The shuttle bus took me from terminal F to C where I found the most luxurious restroom stalls. In addition to a toilet, each one was complete with its own a sink, soap, mirror, paper towel dispenser, and even ample space to move about. Upon boarding call at 11:30, I entered the jetway at gate C18 and took my seat on the 737.
Seated in the middle, 19E, an Australian preacher had the window to my right and a mother from south Tampa was on the isle to my left. She was traveling with three boys, one of whom she had adopted from Russia. With the toddler in her lap and her elder two across the isle, she had her hands full, but managed her job with a smile and the boys were well behaved, if the little one a bit fussy.
Our flight attendant, before departure, invited me to switch to a couple of free seats by the window in an exit row in order to grant the mother and child additional space. Having relocated to seat 12F, it was a comfortable flight with more legroom than I knew what to do with. There was no in-flight entertainment provided, so I used the time to review my interview notes and tried to get some sleep.
