Today was the day I’d be flying out to Miami. I woke up around 8 a.m. and got ready, as did Sean. He left in a hurry to catch his bus to L.A. I grabbed breakfast at the 7-Eleven and headed for the highway. By 8:40, I arrived at the car return site. The inspection was quick—the car was in perfect condition, and the fuel was topped off. I was good to go. Airport car rentals are so hassle-free; I loved the convenience.
I hopped on the shuttle bus to the airport, which took about 7 minutes. By 9 a.m., I had checked in with American Airlines. I had to pay the $25 fee for my checked bag again, but I was already prepared for that. The TSA screening surprised me, though—it was quite a trek to get through.
Security Check-In
The line for security was the longest I’d encountered on this entire trip—around 20 minutes (not a huge deal, but still). This time, I didn’t have to go through the usual full-body scanner; I just walked through a metal detector. My bag was screened, and everything was all clear.
I had about 50 minutes to wait before boarding, but thankfully, the flight was on time. We took off around 10:50, and it was one of the scariest takeoffs I’ve ever experienced. The plane started shaking like crazy right after we lifted off—just some mild turbulence, but it felt intense. These flights in the U.S. were really testing my nerves, haha.
A Tiny Hamster Bladder in Flight
After 40 minutes, I finally got a chance to use the restroom on the plane. For some reason, they keep the seatbelt sign on much longer here in the U.S. I was stuck in the middle seat at the back of the plane—a spot I despise, but I hadn’t had time to choose my seat online. The girl next to me had it rough since I had to get up about five times during the flight. It was a 5-hour journey to Miami, and after an hour, we hit some turbulence, which made me loathe my seat even more. Turbulence feels way worse in the back of the plane—I found out later that sitting near or in front of the wings is much more comfortable during rough patches.
After five hours, we landed safely. The pilot had warned us that the turbulence might make for a rough landing, but it ended up being smooth as could be.
Miami International Airport (MIA)
Once I arrived at Miami International Airport (MIA), I began the long trek to the baggage claim. It felt like the longest walk ever! There were escalators, a turn at the end of the corridor, a 300-meter moving walkway (just like the ones at Schiphol), and then another escalator—wow! This airport was massive. To be fair, they all were: LA, San Francisco, Las Vegas—all of them left a big impression on me.
When I finally retrieved my bag, I noticed it had been inspected. They’d left a cool sticker on it, adding a quirky little souvenir to my collection, haha.
In Search for Food
This airport felt like a different world—everything under the signs was in Spanish. There were many Mexican and other Hispanic travelers around. At the bus station, I got assistance with my ticket, but with the bus departing in 30 minutes and no food provided on the 5-hour flight, I was hungry. I asked someone at the bus station about a vending machine (I hadn’t seen any), but of course, they didn’t have any. I regretted not buying something when I first arrived at the terminal, thinking it would be cheaper outside the airport.
“Oh, you can grab some food at the restaurant down the street,” the security guard said, pointing. “There’s a Spanish place over there.”
I asked, “Isn’t that going to be expensive?”
He reassured me, “No, they have affordable sandwiches. Just walk down the street, and you’ll find it.”
So, I took his advice and, after 10 minutes, arrived at the restaurant with my large backpack and daypack.
Explaining to the lady that I was in a hurry, I ordered a Cuban sandwich and a Coke. Though I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, it sounded delicious. After paying $8, I received my sandwich promptly, and it was even warmed up.
Bus 150 to Miami
As I walked back, I enjoyed the sandwich. It was sweltering in Miami, even though it had just stopped raining. I was still wearing my trousers, which I had put on in Las Vegas before the flight. The sandwich was fantastic—huge, filled with ham, cheese, and some other meats. I couldn’t help but laugh at the fact that there was a Spanish restaurant here; it felt like I was far from the US.
Bus 150 to Miami Beach pulled up at 9 p.m. The driver seemed in a bad mood, so I decided not to bother him with questions. Instead, I used my phone’s GPS and Google Maps to figure out where I needed to get off: at the intersection of Washington and 13th Street. From there, I walked 10 blocks to the hostel. I finally arrived around 11 p.m. It was a budget-friendly party hostel, but it had a lively atmosphere.
Bikini Hostel, Cafe & Beer Garden
The receptionist was friendly and welcoming. After completing the paperwork, she kindly showed me to my dorm.
By 11 p.m., people were still awake in the dorm. Later that evening, I was warmly greeted by a Moroccan guy named Ziggy, who was an avid weed smoker. Naturally, he found it interesting that I was from Amsterdam. We also met Daniel from Brazil, and the three of us chatted about football for a while. Later in the night, I worked on my laptop before finally heading to bed around 3 a.m. I decided to sleep in the next morning.
