The first 24 hours.

I am in New York, and I am in one piece.

My flight took off as planned at 7:45 yesterday morning. I was, in fact, in first class.

Flying first class means that they kiss your ass and attempt to make your airport time as smooth as possible. This includes the privilege of a special line for ID/boarding pass check-in prior to entering the actual security line. I tentatively went into that line yesterday. As I've seen many times from the coach perspective, the woman finished checking the ID of the coach person she'd already been helping, and then turned to me.

Before this even happened, the next couple in the coach line were asserting their presence. They tried to edge me out. When the woman in front of them moved on, they tried to shove their IDs and passes into the woman's hand.

She reached for mine, and cleared me to move on. Even then, this couple was NOT going to get me through, dammit - they were resolute. The guy actually tried to block me from walking past them to the security line. Seriously.

As I was walking off, the woman must have said something about letting me cut in line. The security woman said "She's in first class, they get to go first." Apparently the man said something snarky, because she responded with "You want to pay that much for a ticket, you can go first, too!"

I almost died laughing.

I got to my gate, and found out that there were NINETY-FIVE people on standby for my flight.

Oy.

First class? Is awesome. Previously, I had thought it was just about the bigger seats and more legroom.

It is so much more than that.

There was free breakfast. Hot breakfast. Fairly good breakfast, by airplane standards (though my stomach expressed displeasure with the egg and cheese quesadilla later). The flight attendants actually call you by name. They hang your coat up for you (though I held onto mine to use as a blanket, because it was fucking freezing on the plane). You get free headphones for the movie.

Bliss.

After arriving, I schlepped my two giant suitcases and two carry-ons to the cab line. I lucked out with the world's nicest cab driver, and he helped me schlep them from the curb to my stoop. I tipped him nicely. I dumped my stuff, and met John for an afternoon of expensive purchases.

$1,000 later, I had purchased a mattress/box spring set, and assorted crap from Bed Bath & Beyond. John and I headed to his place (where I was crashing, since the bed couldn't be delivered same day), ate pizza, and watched Ratatouille. He went out, and I crashed early (I'd been up since 5AM).

Now, I am back at my apartment, watching a movie, and waiting for the mattress delivery people (they're coming between 10 and 2). After that's delivered and done, I'm headed to K-Mart for a cheap dresser and a few other odds and ends. I'm going to spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the city, then the evening unpacking and getting ready for work tomorrow (!).

So far, it's been a good 24 hours in the city. I still can't believe that I live here now...