Hearing people complain about US Air in different languages and unexpectedly babysitting at the Philadelphia airport still

Sleeping in an airport was everything I ever expected it to be. It was cold and I kept waking up when cleaners walked by worried that they would steal my stuff, then I finally fell asleep for an hour to wake up to the early birds running about. The emergency blanket also did not really keep me warm but it did manage to leave foil marks all over me but it was better than sleeping with nothing. Luckily my parents had told me to pack a pair of underwear and a toothbrush and paste just in case my luggage got lost so I went to the bathroom to try to make myself look awake and functioning. I then walked back to the A terminal where the customer service counter is to try to get an earlier flight so I can make orientation and if not to figure out how to find my luggage and get it re-directed. I got a coffee and some fruit and stood in line at 6:30am with a British woman who lives in New Jersey (why why why would you leave England for New Jersey why??) who was trying to get to her sister in Manchester. Turns out she was in the same line as I was last night and was the last person to be helped. A woman in front of her ended up missing a funeral because of the delays so that was a sad story. But this Woman was older and had come from Georgia and was on her way to Manchester. We talked a bit about football and how Everton and Liverpool hate each other and her two nephews love one team or the other and barely speak because of it (I can't wait to get to Europe and see crazed football fans). Later a group of rabbis came who were trying to get to Israel but their flight had been canceled last night and they could not get a ticket for another flight. They were all with their wives but the younger one was also with his five children, all under the age of 10. The British lady and I let them go ahead of us since they were all so upset and screaming at each other. I ended up watching the kids for the mother for awhile when she called the airlines trying to get a ticket. Her son was showing me how to use his airplane pillow (by putting it on the ground then laying face first onto it lol) and started bragging that he and his sisters had not slept all night. You could tell. The oldest was about ten and was sitting on the ground with her baby sister in her lap, both about to fall asleep. The boy was deliriously rolling around the floor and the second youngest was passed out in the stroller even though she obviously did not fit and refused to give up her spot for the baby. The service lady finally showed up at 7:15 but by then we had about 15 people in line not including the children. The first lady to talk to her is this lady in the purple and white jacket who was one of the many trying to get to Israel.

I took this picture at about 1oam, three hours later. During those three hours a girl about my age also trying to get to Frankfurt (she lives in Germany) came up in line, and since I had let everyone else go in front of me she and I were standing together in line. We started walking around trying to call for more help on service phones because the line was taking so long. We took this picture because we became so delirious the fact that they were helping the same woman for 3 hours had become funny. She was also hilarious because she kept screaming in Hebrew making the service lady lean forward and put her head in her hands and shake her head in frustration. Also domestic flights got to cut ahead of us and each time this lady would shake her fists at them and scream "NO I AM HERE YOU GO BACK OF LINE. GO, GO NOW GO AWAY I AM HERE YOU SEE ME! I AM HERE! I HAVE TO SLEEP HERE YOU GO AWAY!"

The German girl and I called for the manager but we kept getting hung up on and we made the mistake of going up to the desk to ask for the manager when this purple jacket lady was still being helped and she yelled at us as if we were trying to cut her in line. I got to hear people shouting and complaining in German, Hebrew, Arabic, and a British Accent ("this is just maddening! Just mad... its a pinch and a half past eight!" (I didn't understand what time it was the whole time because she kept telling me what time it was based on pinches and half quarters)). I finally got everything settled and now I just have to wait until two to check in and go through security and customs all over again and then my flight is at 6:50pm. The German girl and I are sitting together where I slept last night after walking all the way back. We both went without lunch and dinner last night and we've all been walking around so much we were all complaining about it while in line but then the British lady reminded us that were loosing weight which made everyone laugh.

After walking around so much I've been able to notice that not all of the art here is just fire hydrants spray painted pastel. There is a lego replica of the cracked liberty bell and there are these hanging sculptures that start off as birds and each one slowly transforms into an airplane. All of the little brown things that make up the shape of the bird or airplane are actually even smaller figurines of popular birds in the area.

I'm on the verge of buying a Philadelphia sweatshirt to keep warm but the German girl told me quickly not to wear it off the plane because no European in their right mind would wear a sweatshirt. Good thing I didn't pack any, but I think this place keeps it so cold to make you buy one and I think the plan is working on me. It's also time for lunch and only a few more hours till I can get in line for security and customs *joy*

-Kaitlyn