O'Hare

Currently on my way with my wife to San Diego for a vacation. Got up at 5:00 am, got dressed, ate, got in a cab at 5:25. (Mrs. Occidentality, who, ironically, is Russian, was up at 4:30 am). Had an absolutely lunatic driver to whom I will be forever grateful, seeing as how he got my wife and me from West Rogers park to the terminal in about 20 minutes. Through security and sitting at the gate by 6:05. The terminal is nearly empty, so we're sitting comfortably by the window.

The cab ride was unusual in that it was the first time I've had a really crazy driver in Chicago. To be fair, crazy overstates it: he simply drove about twenty miles over the speed limit and weaved agressively through traffic. In other cities this is not strange, but in ten years of living in Chicago (mostly on the north side or in the north west suburbs) this was the first cab ride I've had where I felt anxious for my own safety.

So now we have an hour and a half to board our flight. Whenever I travel on business (about once a month) I have no problem arriving an hour before the flight and rushing to the gate. If I miss the flight, my company will buy another ticket or cancel the meeting. When I travel for pleasure, I'm at the airport at least two hours ahead.