The Voyage Out

I managed to fall asleep for about an hour before it was 2.30 am and I had to get up to catch my transport to Venice Marco Polo Airport. My heart was pounding and it felt like it's going to jump out of my chest any second. My father cooked coffee for my mother and I despite the inhumane hour and all of us being half-asleep. Of course I remembered that I forgot to put something into my suitcase. Not my best moment because I had to unlock the huge beast of a suitcase I packed that evening but it was urgent, of course.

My parents drove me to the pick up spot and we had to endure the truly terrible Slovenian music which is my it was probably broadcast at an hour when most normal people are sleeping. I was absent in my head anyway, imaginging all the worst case scenarios I've ever heard of. What if my flight gets delayed or cancelled, what if my luggage gets lost … It was difficult to grasp that this is it, I'm actually doing this. For those not in the know, I've never truly travelled by myself before.

I felt like I was having a heart attack when I finally sat into the van hugging my parents for the last time. I still think they were probably even more nervous than I was. Everyone in the van was sleeping and I tried to follow their example, though I've never been able to sleep while travelling somewhere and this time wasn't an exception. The driver was really nice though and that was somewhat reassuring though he looked sleepy as well, resorting to Redbull and coffee (not together) on the way. We had an interesting conversation the rest of the way when I started feeling more human. I made it on the plane without any bigger problems though my suitcase was over the weight limit and I had to pay extra. In that moment I decided that I really don't like Italians, though the coffee from the vcnding machine was really really good. It looked like this was going to be the kind of day when you subside on coffee and adrenaline.

The first flight of my journey, from Venice to Barcelona, would be uneventful if it wasn't for a fellow passenger, an American doing his Masters degree in Austria. I wasn't feeling very social at first, paying more attention to Chomsky's writing on my Kindle, but more coffee brought out my social skills and I had a great time debating about different places I've seen , the USA, American foreign policy and student life in Austria. It made the short but crowded cattle class flight more pleasant.

Barcelona airport was probably the biggest I've seen so far and I was trying to think of ways to pass my eight hour layover before heading to my final destination, Banjul Airport in the Gambia. The wifi was only free for 15 minutes and it was horribly slow, so I barely managed to check in on Facebook to ease any possible worries. I don't get it why they want you to pay for something that barely costs them anything. It's not like everything else isn't expensive enough.

The airport was large, spacious and modern with its elegant lines, a lot of glass, fancy window displays and a lot of stores. I felt out of place in my practical, somewhat backpackerish (I know it's not a word) outfit suited to a day of sitting on airplanes and at airports. I felt like Alice in Wonderland when I went to the Duty Free Shop. The first thing I saw was M.A.C. Cosmetics, my beloved brand from olden days when I actually felt like wearing makeup. The nostalgia was strong though and I backed away just in case.

Of course the plane was delayed when I was feeling all achy and tired from 8 hours of sitting around at the airport. I tried to sleep on the benches, but I gave up after contorting my body to fit in and I still couldn't sleep. Then I meet an interesting group of expat ladies who live in the Senegambia part of the year and we were waiting stoically to board the plane. I was relieved that at least we made it on the same day although the 5 hour flight was quite uncomfortable. But I had the most interesting airport arrival of all times. We left the plane and everyone around us was wearing gloves and surgical masks, then we had to disinfect our hands and they took our temperature. It made an impression though. I was happy to see Urša and Veronika waiting for me and I was the happiest person in the world when I showered and went to sleep.