Allora oggi . . . standing in the security screening line this morning I was reminiscing about the time when loved ones could escort you to your departure gate.  And connecting flights in far flung cities provided opportunities to rendezvous with friends during lengthy layovers.  Instead we rendezvous electronically through Facebook, text messages, and email while searching for electrical outlets at the airport to recharge the batteries for our phones and computers.

Travelling with a passport as a form of identification creates its own check-in experience.  For some reason having two last names throws the U.S. Department of State onto a tailspin.  The first last name becomes your middle name while the second last name falls into the last name field on the passport.  With the elaborate security measures in place at the airport, all of the information in one’s passport needs to exactly match the information on the flight reservation.  Well . . . the airlines have figured out how to tackle the two last name dilemma while the federal government struggles with obsolete methods.  Thanks to the gate agent who spent 15 minutes changing my name on the reservation/boarding pass everything ran smoothly with the TSA agents at the security checkpoint.  Gotta run onto the next leg of my journey.