Random Thoughts on Traveling to America

Today I flew from Rome to Atlanta, where I will spend the next week on a business project. My day started at 4:45 to be showered, dressed, fed, and, most importantly, awake when Leonardo picked me up at 5:30 for the the trip to Rome.

My flight was completely full of Italian doctors and pharmaceutical reps on their way to the 2012 American Society of Hematology conference. The (medical) doctor beside me said it is the most important conference in the world in their discipline, so of course they all go. The funny part was that they all knew each other, so it was a bit like a party bus.

I have to admit that the Atlanta airport impressed me. Yes, I had to walk the the half mile between my Concourse E gate and the Concourse F immigrations area. But everything I saw was in pristine condition and perfectly clean. It was a sharp contrast to other airports and train terminals I have been in recently. I thought it made for a very good first impression of the city.

One thing the airport does need to fix is transportation from international concourse to the rental car facility. Domestic customers get a train to zip them to the nearby rental car facility. But international customers have to take an airport shuttle clear around the airport. It is a solid 15 minutes because it is such a big airport. And then, instead of being dropped off at the same level as the train customers are, they are dropped off at the basement level and have to find their way up the elevators.

Even Atlanta can be a small place. I was waiting in line for border control when I saw a familiar profile in one of the lines ahead. Paul Taylor, a co-worker! He pointed out Dan Davidenko and Ed Mink and Rick Mount, and eventually the line snaked so I could talk to them, too. They were also just in from Italy, having made an stop in Paris.

I'm very pleased with one last chore I accomplished today: I got an American SIM card for my Italian phone, so for the cost of a $10 card I can reuse and a $10 prepayment I have all the cell phone minutes I could use for the week I will be here.

Michael