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I learned a few airport lessons as I was flying home for spring break. It was a little surprising and unsettling, seeing as I am no stranger to airports, but these lessons were memorable all the same.

• Do not go through security at the wrong terminal at the departing airport
  I had bought my return ticket home with a different airline than the one I usually used, so I found myself almost going through security at the wrong terminal at my departing airport. The airport did offer a bus between terminals, but luckily I caught my mistake in time and ran across the airport to the correct terminal where my departure gate was.
• Do pay attention to what the departure gate is
  I was listening to my iPod as I waited at my departure gate, and luckily I looked up at the big departure gate screen and saw that my departing gate had been changed at the last minute. I had missed the announcement over the loudspeaker since I was listening to my iPod, but I managed to board the flight all the same.
• Do not have dreams that you boarded the wrong flight
  I was exhausted and decided to take a nap during the relatively short flight. I ended up having a dream that I boarded a flight to San Diego rather than Chicago. I woke up in a panic and frantically asked the woman sitting next to me, “Where is this flight going? What is our flight number?!” She thought I was going crazy, and I can’t say I blame her.
• Do pay attention to where the arrivals exit is at the arrival airport
  I was following all the arrows that pointed me in the direction of the baggage claim, but somewhere along the way I lost track of the arrows and found myself at the departure gate for a flight to London, and had to retrace my steps until I finally found the pathway to the baggage claim. As much as I love London, it was definitely not my destination for the day – I just wanted to go home!
• Do pay attention to what baggage claim your flight was assigned
  I was sleeping (or, well, fitfully dreaming) when the flight attendant announced what my flight’s baggage claim number was at my destination airport, and as I forgot to ask the person I was sitting next to what the number was (I’m not sure she would have told me, as she thought I was insane after asking her about San Diego) I had to wander aimlessly around the baggage claim area until I spotted people I recognized from my flight standing at a particular carousel. I’ve no idea why the airport doesn’t just have signs up at each baggage claim carousel saying what flight number is using the carousel, it makes life so much more difficult to have to remember and/or guess!