Going to Pittsburgh

On+the+plane+to+Pittsburgh.+

RaeAnn Duinink

On the plane to Pittsburgh.

I have been a Pittsburgh Steelers fan for my entire life. Well, it’s not like I really had a choice but I love it anyway. My dad has to be one of the biggest fans I’ve ever met. Granted this year there isn’t really that much to cheer for because we are awful, but we will love them anyway. My dad became a fan when he was just a kid, because back then the Steel Curtain was really something to mess with. 

Can you believe I’m almost 18 years old, and I’ve never been to Pittsburgh? Because I sure can’t. It’s a load of junk if you ask me, but the good news is, that’s all about to change. A few months ago my mom asked me what I wanted to do for spring break as a family, and of course, I said “go to Pittsburgh,” she was really confused about why I’d want to go there during March, but I’ve never been so I think it’s about time. We didn’t talk about it again for a long time, and then out of nowhere my dad pulled up these tickets, “Baltimore at Pittsburgh, Dec. 11, 2022,” I was ecstatic. I couldn’t wait for the day to come. It kinda seemed like one of those things that will never come, but it’s finally here. 

Thank God we aren’t driving there, but that means airplane, which also means airport. My family’s history with airports isn’t exactly the best. A couple years ago my family went on a trip to Baltimore so my mom could go to a conference. There was a storm of course on the day we were supposed to get there so our flights got delayed. My mom, dad and I spent over 20 hours in the Newark, N.J. airport. It was one of the most traumatizing experiences and I haven’t been in an airport since. 

This time my dad and I will be maneuvering in the airport without my mom. Don’t get me wrong, my dad and I are both very independent and capable of taking care of ourselves but airports are so confusing and I am just not trying to deal with that at 5 in the morning. That just is not the move. 

This chunk of article will be brought to you by my Iphone in the middle of miscellaneous airports. It is currently 11:57 a.m. and my dad and I are sitting in the Minneapolis airport waiting for lunch. If our lives went according to plan we’d be landing in Pittsburgh right about now, but when does that ever happen? In Des Moines this morning, everyone was loaded on board and we were ready to go and there was a windshield wiper malfunction. A WINDSHIELD WIPER. ARE YOU JOKING?! So now everything is all messed up. We are working through it. Everything is okay. Life is awesome. Fingers crossed, we get to Pittsburgh okay and sometime before midnight. 

Currently 3:43 p.m. sitting on a flight from Detroit to Pittsburgh. Greg (my dad) and I got separated and I’m sitting next to some random guy, he seems cool though, watching a lot of Tik Toks. As long as things go okay, I should FINALLY be in Pittsburgh in about an hour. Only like 5 hours late, no big deal. Just add it to the list of airport trauma. 

Airports just aren’t on my list of places I would ever choose to visit, but I’m not a fan of sitting in the car either.