The return trip from Panama felt even longer than the trip there! We left our Panama dorms at 4 AM. Our flight back to the Atlanta airport left at 8 AM and landed around 1:30 PM. On any international flight, the process just takes longer. We had to go through security twice before even getting on the plane. Delta Airlines didn’t allow any liquids, even if they were bought in the airport. Even after going through security at the boarding gate, we still went through security a third time because a few of us had to use the bathroom. However, all of the security ensures that we are safe while traveling. When we arrived in Atlanta, it was SO cold! I believe it was 30-40 degrees. In Panama, it was anywhere from 70-90 degrees all day and night. After going through customs, we walked out of the airport. Sounds simple, right? Wrong.
We got lost in the Atlanta airport and couldn’t find the bus that we needed to get back to the parked vans. It took about another hour. We took one bus from the international terminal to the domestic terminal, and then a bus from the domestic terminal to the parking lot. When we reached the parking lot, our journey was just beginning. Because we left so early in the morning, everyone was hungry for lunch. We stopped on the way back to Tuscaloosa for food. We finally arrived back in Tuscaloosa, Alabama around 6:30 PM. This story just shows that every day is an adventure and you never know what challenges you may face.
