The One Where I Begin My ATP-CTP Journey
I’m writing this from a cozy (read: standard) hotel room near DFW, where I’m about to start my ATP-CTP course bright and early tomorrow. It’s surreal being here on my own, especially after saying goodbye to my family last night. I had to slip out of the house at 4 AM to catch my flight, and it really hit me that I won’t see them for a couple of weeks. My older daughter and I have always been incredibly close, and she was already crying when I said goodnight—then this morning, my wife texted that our daughter woke up, looked at the empty spot in bed, and said, “I waited too long to snuggle Daddy and now he’s gone.” Cue instant waterworks on my end. I had to fight back tears at TSA and seriously wondered, “Is this really what I want?” But deep down, I know it is. It’s just never easy to be away from the people you love.
My Lyft driver had a lot to say about phone etiquette—apparently, a previous passenger left her phone in his car, and the experience was less than pleasant. He had strong opinions on how people should be more respectful when they lose something and expect to get it back right away. I couldn’t help but agree with him. In this day and age, we’re all pretty attached to our phones, so when they go missing, panic mode hits hard. Still, it was an entertaining chat for that early in the morning.
I was hoping the airline would be a bit lenient with my checked bag being a couple of pounds over the limit—wishful thinking! They made me remove some items, so I ended up lugging an extra bag of clothes onto the plane. Not my ideal scenario, but oh well. At least the flight itself was quiet and uneventful. I picked the second-to-last row so I’d still have a recline option, which ended up being a good call. The tail end of the plane was basically empty—just me and a couple of flight attendants who looked about as thrilled to be awake as I was. Honestly, I can’t blame them; nobody’s chipper at 5 or 6 AM.
Once we landed, it took a while to taxi to the gate, so I tried to call the hotel shuttle. They told me to ring them back once I had my bags (fair enough), but then I had to wait about 20–25 minutes in the chilly morning air. I didn’t realize DFW would be that brisk, but I’m glad I packed a jacket. My lack of sleep was also catching up to me, and by the time I got to the hotel, I felt pretty under the weather. A quick nap did the trick, though—I woke up feeling way better and decided to venture out for supplies.
I planned on going to the 7-Eleven near the hotel for water, but as soon as I spotted a big Walmart sign, I made a beeline in that direction. I stocked up on water, milk, and some fruit. As I trekked back to the hotel in the Texan sun, I realized I could have had Walmart deliver everything right to my door. Lesson learned for next time, especially when the high-70s/low-80s weather is a big switch from New England’s chill.
Being away from my family for the first time, even just these three weeks, feels tougher than I ever expected. I’ve called home at least five times since checking into the hotel. The fear of missing out on my daughters’ everyday moments is hitting me hard. At the same time, I know this journey is something I’ve worked for and dreamed about for years. Perhaps in time, we’ll all get used to this lifestyle—FaceTime calls, texts, and reunions in between flights.
For now, I’m going to dive into the ATP-CTP coursework, keep calling home, and remind myself why I started this journey in the first place. Despite the homesickness and early-morning grogginess, I’m excited to see where this path leads. Stay tuned for the next post in this little series—because who knows what tomorrow’s “One Where…” will bring!