Departure

Well, this is where my journey begins. The long-awaited day has finally arrived.

I packed my things and left for Sydney Airport at about 2:00pm AEST. On the way, my parents gave me useful tips and advice on how to exercise caution and avoid trouble. If anyone were to ask me who paid for my trip, I did. I worked for 6 months, and saved up. I believe I am aware of my right to safety; unfortunately, it’s not a perfect world out there, and being out there in another country by myself for the first time puts my personal safety at risk.

So then, we arrived at the airport and unloaded my luggage. My dad drove off to find parking, while me and my mother went into the terminal to find my departure point; and in saying that, I had absolutely no problem. My flight number was displayed on the big screen, TG996, at Gate K. My mother helped me carry the luggage over to the check-in desk. My dad caught up with us, and we all walked to the gate where I said my goodbyes. I hugged my mother for the longest time, then proceeded through immigration. It was sad to leave my parents behind, and I even shed a few tears, but sooner or later, that sadness turned into excitement and acted as a good coping mechanism. I was on my own now.

I went through the customs, and they did the checking. I had two aerosol cans in my bag, so they told me to put them in a plastic seal-bag. I then headed to Gate 53, and waited about an hour for the plane, which in the meantime I was texting my mother. Apparently the plane had a mechanical problem, so that's what caused the slight delay. I boarded, put my bag into one of the overhead consoles, and took my seat. I wasn’t here for long though, as the flight attendant told me I was in the wrong seat. So I grabbed my stuff, and sat where he directed me to. I was sitting next to someone who was reading a book written in Cyrillic. I assumed he was Russian, reading a Russian book.

Shortly afterwards, the plane began to take off. I was slightly nervous at first, but those feelings again turned into excitement as the plane accelerated across the runway. I had my video camera recording outside the window, which was something I planned to do. I enjoy plane trips, and I enjoy flying, so my emotional feelings weren’t too harsh. I was getting closer to Agnes; that was my main positive thought.

During the flight, I watched The Underdog on TV. I had to put in my headphones, and find the right channel to hear the movie dialogue. After the second movie, Transformers, I realised I had left my video camera bag behind. Crap! I began worrying, and thinking about where I could have left it, as I had no idea. The plane then landed in Bangkok, Thailand; the transit of my itinerary. I searched frantically for my video camera bag in the console above my seat, and also the place where I had been sitting first. I couldn’t find it, so I told the flight attendant who was wondering what I was looking for. He helped me search the area, but no luck.

I had to get off the plane. I was out last, because I was looking for my bag. The other people were way ahead of me, and I thought I was lost for a minute; but I asked the nearby guard which way was to Athens, and he directed me. I found a number of gates up ahead, and I didn’t know where to go. I had looked at my boarding pass, and there was no gate indicator. So, I looked at the big display board, and it said Athens – C9. Okay, now where is Gate C9? I went to ask the officials at the gate to Stockholm, and they told me to go upstairs. Well, I found the way. It was a long walk to the other end of the terminal, where C9 was, so I decided that it was a good time to text my mother. I tried to send her a message, telling her that I’m safe, and that I lost my video camera bag. It sent, without a problem. I arrived at Gate C9 and waited for my plane. In the meantime, I had a drink from the bubbler, and went to the bathroom. The Thai toilet had a peculiar design which I found partly amusing.

So, here we go again, boarding the plane. This was a different plane now, and it had a different entertainment system. There were a number of movies to choose to watch. I didn’t watch anything; I decided to go to the boring screen which gives you the information of your flight, where you are, how fast the plane is going, etc. We took off, and I watched outside the window as the views of Bangkok disappeared. I had some airline food, and then went to sleep.