My first trip where I had to sleep in the airport

It was December 2015, and I decided to take a trip to Chicago for a short holiday and to celebrate the new year. I booked a cheap flight with Etihad from Lagos to New York. It was so cheap, it was ridiculous. However, it turned out that I had to endure a 16-hour layover in the Abu Dhabi International Airport. My previous US trips started with 13-hour direct Delta flights to Atlanta, so I figured it would be interesting to try something different. "How bad could it be?" I thought to myself.

I checked in on the day of my trip with a couple of carry-on bags like I was used to, but I was told I could only take one with me, and that I would have to check the other bag. Uh oh! I've never really enjoyed waiting at baggage claim, but again, I thought it couldn't be that bad. The flight to Abu Dhabi was about 8 hours, which wasn't so bad. Proceeded through the transit area to departure gate, but apparently, there was no access at the time due to the fact that I had to go through the US CBP preclearance, which wouldn't be open until the next day.

For all the talk of how much money is being invested in the United Arab Emirates, I was a little disappointed with the way the airport looked. There seemed to be a lack of proper maintenance, with flimsy power sockets and some not working outright, and derelict looking chairs, amongst other things. I did think it was a little amusing that there were glass "booths" for smokers. Basically, they had these designated areas built out of glass where up to 4 or 5 people could smoke their cigarettes. I'm not a smoker, but I would feel weird being packed in an area the size of an elevator with 4 other people blowing smoke into their faces. I digress.

At least, there was free WiFi! I had to walk long distances looking for a gate with a working power socket. This kept me occupied for at least a few hours until I was really tired and had to rest. The airport terminal emptied out as it was getting closer to midnight with passengers departing on their respective flights. The stores closed and there were just a few janitors cleaning up as I walked down looking for a comfortable place to get some shuteye. I looked up options, and apparently, they've got sleeping pods, but I wasn't going to shell out some cash to sleep in an airport.

I also couldn't go look for a hotel, because I was in transit, and did not have a visa which would be required for me to be able to exit the airport. Fortunately, there were cushioned long chairs in the corridor connecting the international gates and the smoking areas. I found an empty one, held my mobile phone in my right hand, zipped up my passport in my inner jacket pocket, folded my arms and promptly fell asleep. I woke up every two to three hours, but it was relatively peaceful and I was undisturbed.

It was the early hours of the next morning and the airport terminal started to fill up again. I still had a few more hours before the second leg of my trip which would be 15 hours to JFK, but I was adequately rested to embark on that. Of course, my ticket was tagged with the dreaded SSSS (Secondary Security Screening Selection). It was also the first time I ever got this tag, which required a notebook inspection and a security pat down.

After going through the preclearance area, I waited for another couple hours to board, passed out on the trip to New York, waited for my checked bag at baggage claim and then embarked on my final flight to Chicago on a Delta flight. And I was allowed to board with both carry-on bags. Crazy, huh?

Ultimately, it took me 32 hours to get to my destination, and that's something I will never do again.

If you liked my story, you can follow me @shockr.