Senior Scene Editors Olivia Poolos and Julia Robbins had vastly different experiences of the first two weeks of class. In this article, Robbins reflects on her journey from New York City to campus. You can read about Poolos’s experience here.

I truly tried to look less disheveled today at the airport today. I chose real pants (my beloved brown Dickies) instead of my normal travel pick of tie-dyed sweatpants that make me look like a love child of the 70s. While I did stick with my go-to oversized sweatshirt, I also put my hair into a braid the night before so I wouldn’t have to wear my typical heinous bun that’s become my norm on flying days. Off we went to Queens, home to the new-and-improved LaGuardia (LGA) airport! 

Airports have become more manageable to navigate these days. That’s purely anecdotal. But I’m sure it’s the case. The new-ish boarding pass kiosk stations have made the check-in process an utter breeze. Thank you to whoever invented those. 

The body scanners are new at LGA. A featureless image of a person is in front of me on the machine, demonstrating that I’m supposed to bend my arms down. Instead, I raised my hands above my head, as one would at most airports, before realizing that I must’ve looked like an out-of-towner, not in tune with the airport technology with which LGA is now gracing us. 

My bag was stopped at security. Why? I’ll never know. The TSA does a fun job of keeping us on our toes. 

I made my way up an escalator to the gate. There’s now a water show that appears every 15 minutes on the hour in Terminal B. Water dances down from the ceiling in a whimsical feat of hydraulic engineering. Unfortunately, the display wasn’t on when I passed because it was too early in the day. Darn my 9 a.m. flight time. But also, can I please find out the ‘why’ behind this water show? Is LGA trying to make itself more culturally enticing? Did it not hear the news that Broadway’s back?

After going about eight minutes out of our way because I neglected to check which gate I was supposed to go to, I got to Gate 20. It was filled with all the usual suspects: WashU students, other people. That’s the whole list.

I have a newfound appreciation for whoever came up with that squeezable headrest system on airport chairs. I rarely use them, but I love that there are little cushions that you can semi-frame around your head if you want. 

I was thinking two days ago about a potential post-pandemic flight. Or maybe not post-pandemic, but a mid-endemic flight. Imagine walking down a plane’s aisles and seeing people’s faces. Seeing their mouths slightly ajar while they get their high-altitude nap in; their mouths munching on Biscoff that seem to exist only in the air. If that day ever happens, I will not only be looking not-disheveled (aka, sheveled), but I will dress up like it’s the event of the century. Catch me in a floor-length gown at the #sincethendefunctlaguardia in 2045. Until then, Bon Voyage!