Today, the
22nd of November 2013, I am travelling alone like a big girl. So far I have taken 2 trains and am sitting
(semi)patiently in Gatwick Airport (is it pronounced Gat-wick or Gat-ick.?). This adventure of travelling solo has
stressed me out since I found out I lost my travel buddy, but now that I’m here
it’s really not a big deal. It’s not
terribly scary or exciting; it’s mostly boring (I got here way too early). It is kind of fun to people watch and wonder
if I’m being people-watched myself. It’s
also been a good opportunity to write some blogs and do some reading (should’ve
brought homework...oh darn). However,
outlets are few and far between once you’re through security. My netbook has 6 hours of life, but my phone
refuses to completely charge and/or hold a charge so it’s a bit frustrating in that aspect. I’ll probably go hunt one down in an hour or
so, just so I have enough life for the flight.
I hate flying so I’m definitely going to need a distraction. Once I land, all that’s left to do is find a
taxi to take me to my B&B (where there is WiFi). Pretty straightforward stuff – not really
anything to stress about (although I’m a bit apprehensive that my luggage is
going to get lost – not really sure why, but it’s a feeling I can’t shake).
I don’t
know if I every use the term irony correctly, but I’m going to use it
anyway. I find it (potentially) ironic
that I did very little planning for this trip.
I pretty much just threw my entire wardrobe, essential electronics, and
toiletries into a suitcase/backpack. I’m
pretty impressed I got everything to fit.
I did make sure to have clothing in my carry-on just in case. I didn’t make detailed packing lists or plan
out my days; I just sorta went for it and hoped that I got everything. It was a stressful week and now I’m sick. I haven’t slept much, and am starting to feel
that – hopefully I sleep on the plane.
Let’s
recount the mishaps of the week:
1. Canceling hostels at the last minute
2. Writing and turning in my paper at
the last minute (due while I’m abroad so I technically turned it in early)
3. Phone battery crapping out (this
means limited pictures from here on out)
4. Paying my credit card bill and
realising that I’m poor
5. Finding out that one of my cards was
a temporary card and the real card was mailed to my US address (another one is
being mailed to my UK address, should arrive in 7-10 business days)
6. Not sleeping more than a few hours
in the past couple days
7. Struggling with a lack of control
8. Burning cookies
9. Overflowing my oatmeal
10. Magical giant bruise on the back of
my leg – source unknown
11. Massive Homesickness
12. Ripping my boarding pass
Let’s
recount why all these things are positive forces in my life:
1. It got done without any extra
charges (other than stress)
2. I no longer have to worry about it
3. Realisation how much power a stupid
piece of technology has over my emotions
4. Being a responsible adult – learning
to budget
5. Practice in patience
6. There is no good here – maybe it’ll
help me sleep on the plane
7. Learning (slowly) to give control up
to God
8. They wouldn’t have all fit in my
travel container anyway
9. Laughable moment – par for the
course
10. Something to ponder and show off to
friends – I could say I kicked a guy in the head...with my calf
11. The excitement of meeting family in
Ireland far outweighed the stress of the lonesome journey – it’s what keeps me
going
12. Another opportunity for growth in
the stress-management dept.
I’ve been
equally dreading and looking forward to this trip all week. Travelling alone, while a little stressful,
is an amazing opportunity for some massive growth and reflection. I’m discovering that I am capable of being an
adult. I am independent, and I don’t
need someone to hold my hand every step of the way. Sometimes I think I am a weak person or at
least feel that this is how I am perceived.
I am a very emotional person (I don’t have enough emotions to crash a
different school’s girl-bullying-healing-sharing-of-wrongs, but I do have a lot
of emotions – that was a poorly executed Mean
Girls reference). I hate how
emotional I am, I hate how easily my emotions are influenced by life events,
and I hate how apparent my emotions are to others. I wish I could hide them, nay, I wish I
didn’t have to feel them all the time.
This is stupid, I shouldn’t be ashamed of having emotions –
unfortunately today’s society has ingrained in me that I must be tough – only
weaklings cry. I digress; this is going
too deep for a day like today. Back to
my point, I’m finding that I can rise to the occasion and control my emotions
instead of letting them control me.
When you’re
travelling by yourself in a different country you are truly on your own. If you forget something, sucks ta suck,
nobody’s going to bring it to you. You
have to be able to sort out tough situations and keep a level head when
something goes wrong, trusting that it will eventually get sorted out. There is no room for tears, you have to keep
it together and keep a level head. I
make this sound like you’re going to war – it’s really not that bad. It’s just a different feeling being totally
on your own – terrifying and empowering.
That pretty much sums up studying abroad as well.
Later that
day...
So right
after I wrote this, I realised that my phone was missing (my pay-as-you-go
English phone) – panic ensued, followed shortly by action. I retraced my steps, and informed
security. Security was REALLY
helpful! They weren’t terribly
condescending and they legitimately wanted to help me find it. They reran my bag through the scanner to
count the electronic devices, confirming that it was not in my bag, then (with
my permission) searched my bag (carefully and respectfully) just to be
sure. They were also conscious of my
departure time and sent me to my gate while they check CCTV security footage –
that is dedication! All that for my tiny
phone worth 30 quid (plus the extra 15 I JUST topped up, but I’m not
bitter). I was thoroughly
impressed. I don’t have my phone, but I’ll
be ok without it for now. I might go get
a cheaper one when I get back to Canterbury, or just try to make do without
since I will only have 3 weeks left.
After that
I enjoyed a peaceful and beautiful flight to Ireland. I HATE flying so for me to say these things
is proof that God is Good! ;)
I am now at
the B&B debating sleep vs. food – it’s only 4:30pm and I’m ready for
bed. At this point I think I’m just
going to curl up in bed with my book or a movie and if I fall asleep in the
next couple hours that’s fine, and if not, I’ll venture into town for food (it’s
a €7 bus ride away). I’m definitely ill,
but I’m not going to let it stop me from enjoying my Irish adventure!
Today was
good. I made it, all my luggage made it,
and I’m really relaxed. God is Good!
