I love our airport!

Do you love your airport?  On Christmas Day, I decided that I love our airport.  I'm a native of the Bryan - College Station, Texas area and I think it is an asset to our area even though there are major airports within driving distance.  If you drew a triangle between Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) and Austin, we'd be in the middle more or less.   

As a single mother, I've come to dread Christmas morning.  That is when I have to take my two boys to the airport, put them on a plane, and watch them leave for Atlanta, Georgia so they can spend the rest of their Christmas break with their Dad.  They are always excited, but as a mom, I'm not.  Initially, I'll worry about, "What if the plane crashes?"  I ask God to look out for them.  As they board the plane, I always find myself on the verge of tears.  The mere fact that they are not going to be around leaves me with a sad, empty, quiet feeling.  We won't bicker about which radio station to listen to.  The house will be empty.  The Christmas tree with no presents under it will serve as a reminder that our Christmas together this year has come and gone.  I've been through this process more times than I can count.  Even though I spend the better part of Christmas day with my family, I still find myself sad.  

<See?  Off they go.                            

So, why did I decide that I love our airport this year?  Well....I needed to find something to keep me from crying in the 36 minutes between the time they boarded the plane and when it actually took off.  Easterwood Airport is a nice, clean airport that is located just a mile or so from the Texas A&M campus.  Actually, the airport is owned and run by Texas A&M.  As an Aggie, why wouldn't I love that?  But there is more: 

When the boys were younger, we had to get up in the wee hours of Christmas morning, drive two hours to Houston Intercontinental, so they could take a direct flight to Atlanta.  This is the second Christmas that they have been able to fly out of Easterwood Airport in College Station, which about 15 minutes from our house.  Although they will have to switch planes in Dallas, they are able to stay up a little later on Christmas Eve and play with their gifts.  This year, it was new XBox games.   

< Sean and Phillip by the Christmas tree at McKenzie Terminal.  It was still dark outside when we arrived at the airport this moring.   

Continental and American Airlines are the two carriers that service this airport.  American Airlines flies into DFW.   Continental flies into Houston.  With gas prices what they are now, the cost of the ticket for this part of the flight is offset by the amount that I save in gas, not to mention my time.   

Easterwood Airport is small enough that we can turn into the McKenzie terminal from the highway and be standing in the check-in line within 5 to 10 minutes.  The lines for both the check in and the security clearance area are comparatively short.  After the boys have gone through security, I can still see them through the windows prior to their boarding the plane.  When it is time to leave, I've only got to walk a short distance to get back to my truck. 

I'm a horse person, so yes, I drive a truck.  Trucks can be really hard to park in little spaces.  The terminal's parking lot is never so crowded that I can't find a big open area to maneuver into.  In Houston, I may spend 10-15 minutes just looking for a parking space.  At, I wouldn't even attempt parking a truck.  As a passenger flying in at other airports, you frequently have to take a bus, just to get to the rental car places.  At Easterwood, the two rental car companies share about half the parking lot.  

If you fly American, you will have to go downstairs to claim your baggage.  With Continental, you walk into the building directly into the baggage claim area.  No stress.  Simple as can be. 

I love our the convenience that our airport offers.  I'm proud to call it OUR airport.  Do you love your airport?