Day: August 17, 2025

I’ve traveled across a good swath of this world and I can say without reservation that getting into the USA is the worst and most problematic situation I’ve seen. It is not inviting. The people are rarely nice on the way in, and you generally find yourself herded off into separate areas with lower end duty free and other sub par services.

I’m ready to be done.

Some Thoughts:

1. At least there’s football. Without it I don’t think I would find much purpose or passion left for the country.
   I’ve done more contemptuous sighing since reaching this section of the airport than I have in the past month…
2. There isn’t even good football anymore. Short of wanting quite desperately to see my kids succeed, the storylines are woeful. There isn’t a team I truly love that is also good.
   
3. Maybe it’s just Phoenix. Maybe that’s the thing I’m struggling with. The impressive landscape of Victoria Island is quite difficult to leave behind.
   
4. There’s fantasy for all.. that has some appeal to it.
   
5. it isn’t that the people are not genuine—i think they are genuinely as they present themselves. It’s that I don’t like what is being presented. It isn’t who I am or want to be around. I’ve moved on. My world has moved on…

Knowing your bag is too heavy is the worst. It could mean an extra $100 if I cannot get this back below 50lbs, and I have no idea how to make that happen. Some of it is a space issue–I can only take two bags and a personal item. The smaller of the two is lighter but already is holding a few heavy items. The thing is, I do not get why the bag is so heavy–a few shoes, an otherwise empty pair of backpacks and some cords. I dumped the heaviest electronics to save weight (and still have no idea how to deal with that…) but still the problem persists. It is largely a ‘feel’ issue as I do not have a scale on hand, but it feels dang heavy. Like over 50lbs dang heavy and I don’t know how to reconcile the situation.

The trip is costing more and more every hour. I think I will need to grin and bear the $100 fine, because I honestly cannot figure out what to shed, if anything. Everything I am keeping is stuff I want and need.