While airplanes are undoubtedly the fastest way to travel to the farthest reaches of the earth, they can also be the most annoying things to coordinate. Weather conditions, mechanical errors, and an entire array of unforeseen problems can contribute to a flight getting delayed or canceled completely.

Take, for example, the last two flights I have been on, or rather will be on as I write this. My last flight back to school this past winter was absolutely horrendous. Delays went on for hours and hours. I got stuck sitting near some rather unruly children who seemed to be playing some strange version of "The Wizard of Oz." Or perhaps "Kingdom Hearts"? I’m not entirely sure, but all I know is that “Micky” and “Minnie” were screaming about birthday parties and getting married. This would have been tolerable if they hadn’t burst out screaming every five minutes, and no matter how many looks I shot at their mother, she did not seem to do anything about their noise making. I am sure that it was not bothering just me, as a couple of people moved away from the screaming duo, as well.

For anyone who has ever been to Hawaii from the Mainland, you know just how long and terrible the flight back is-- six hours of nothing more than screaming babies, snoring people, and bad food. Not to mention possibly sharing a row with a complete stranger who does not understand what headphones mean about conversations. By the time I arrived in Sacramento International, I was relieved. Then I remembered the hour-long ride back to campus I still had ahead of me. However, that is not as bad; it's actually rather enjoyable since the person that always drives me is polite and friendly. The ride back is usually the highlight of my journey, second only to flopping down in my bed and sleeping.

Now, this flight that I am about to be on as I write this has been delayed several times throughout the day. I was supposed to depart the airport at around 5:00 pm this afternoon. It is now 7:07 pm. Sure, two hours don’t seem too bad, but when you consider the fact that I am still sitting in the boarding area, and not actually boarded onto the plane yet, two hours seems a little worse. It’s been an extremely long and rather uncomfortable wait. The food has been too greasy for me to actually eat, and instead, I had to find solace in a cute little bag of Dippin' Dots. There has also been a child grabbing and swatting at me because he does not understand other people’s personal space bubbles, nor his father’s warnings about sitting down and keeping his hands to himself.

Don’t get me wrong, I would likely not be able to make this weekend trip if planes did not exist in the first place. Nor would I have been able to take a spontaneous trip to Kaua’i for a day of zip-lining. However, I will admit that I am sad I live in a time period where planes are not quite advanced enough to transcend these problems. I hope I am still alive when they start making strides towards better air transportation.