11:17 p.m. I had 10 minutes to make it across Atlanta International and catch my flight to San Francisco. I cinched down the straps on my backpack, confirmed my departure gate on the monitors, and took off, careful not to spill my precious coffee. Caffeine doesn't do much for me anymore, but I got decaf to be on the safe side. The flight would feel a lot shorter if I could catch a few Zs.
You never realize just how oblivious most travelers are until you're in this much of a rush. Families walking five across, taking up the whole walkway. Tourists fumbling through their bags right in front of the entrance to the escalator. Business men flicking their Blackberries and walking at a snail's pace.
I checked my watch again – 11:22. "Fuck…" I picked up the pace, weaving between travelers, dodging airport personnel in golf carts, half expecting a TSA agent to yell at me to slow down.
11:25. My terminal. 15 gates to go. 10…5…1. 11:27. I arrived slightly breathless, just in the nick of time.
A hollow, static voice came over the intercom: "Now boarding Zones 1, 2, and 3."