14 Hours 27 Minutes

A German voice just came over the P.A. announcing that the Emirates flight I am currently on is scheduled to be 14 hours and 27 minutes. For those who have not been on Emirates before (which I have not), it is a nice ride.

The steward and stewardesses are dressed to impress in Middle Eastern style fashion. There are five sections, the first of which is first class (offering the sleep pods). The other sections are spacious, and personal toiletry bags, blankets, headphones, and pillows are provided on every seat. Also, everyone gets access to free movies and entertainment which makes the long trip a little more palatable.

So now to my set up. First, I had to check my back-packing back at the gate because it weighed too much so I am streamline. In terms of location (within the 5 sections) lets just say that if the tail fell off, I would be the first to go. Also, the last 5 rows only have 2 seats on the end sections so my middle seat turned into an isle row! However, the reason for dropping off the third seat is to make room for the bathroom...which is within arms reach across the isle from my seat.

This flight is the most diverse experience I have had in a good while. I have traveled to Seattle often over the past two years (50+ trips) and have never heard of or seen "S Gate." This is the international terminal and as soon as I entered S Gate the trip became real. 

I leave with excitement and all the trust I can muster.

Ryan