Travel Time

By now I've been here for a few days. So much has happened during that time but here is what I wrote for my first day of traveling.

9/13/10-9/14/2010
I hate goodbyes. Every time I have been the one to leave or I'm sending someone else off, I handle it awkwardly. To me goodbyes are, if not unnecessary, then especially hard. To me it is "see you later", even if later is a few months, to a few years, or even never. It's all confusing but lets just say I don't handle goodbyes well. I realized as I walked through the plane that I forgot to give that last wave to my mom who was watching behind the check-in. Bad form Samantha.

Aerial view of lower Michigan

  My journey was uneventful. I've been told I'm old hat at this, but I disagree. Every time I go through a security check I worry needlessly, I don't stray from my gate so I will not miss my flight, and I worry about my checked baggage. Even through all that, I love meeting new people and the knowledge that I can do this on my own.

  Regarding new people though, I had an older man seated next to me from Marquette. We talked a little but it became apparent he was a great grouch.The man made the mistake to book his connecting to close to his landing in Detroit and he made sure everyone knew that he was going to have to rush through the airport.   Oh, and when our platform had technical difficulty and delayed us ten minutes the entire plane heard him grossing. C'est la vie!

  On the journey from Detroit to Amsterdam I had a friendly Brit who live in America. She was a slightly older woman and she even mistook me as being older then I am. She offered to buy me a drink with her free vouchers but, ah me, I had to refuse her. I heard a lot about her life and we got on just fine. Of course, like elders tend to be, it became apparent that she expected it to be my job to listen but not give my own thoughts or experience unless asked. You can always tell if the person is like that when they have this uncomfortable air after you open your mouth. I tried but learned fast.
  I was wide awake. However, At one point I thought sleep is going to be needed if I want to hang out with my friend so I tried to close my eyes. Sure enough, as soon as i start to sleep my nose gets congested. Bah and then I worried about snoring. I got a few hours sleep which was great.
  On the journey from Amsterdam there was no such talking. The guy next to me spoke only Dutch or danish or oh another language that wasn't any three I sort of know.
  Now, I am going to say this once, I am going to say a few things that most of you know or have experienced. I am also aware of them to a certain degree but I also have a few people reading this who really have no idea or have forgotten.
  The first thing I am going to say is that one of the most disconcerting part of flying is when you are inside a cloud. It's complete whiteness. The next ridiculous thing to say is, it is true that European men now carry the  man purses. Third, roundabouts are everywhere!
  Now, onward to my arrival to Aberdeen. I was so disorientated, nervous, that I forgot to fill out the non-EU passport. As it was customs was easy to get through and my luggage came all the way through, or in whatever order that is supposed to be in. When I cleared that there were ladies (fellow students) waiting for me. It might be from minimal sleep but when they talked to me I had a "I can't understand you and what language am I supposed to speak now" moment. I swear it! I wanted to answer in Lithuanian. After I thoroughly confused the girls and they helped me, I was on the bus to the train station. Right, now I know I did not plan this right and I found the error of my ways and I will pay for it myself.
  At the station I embarrassed my dumb foreign self by not knowing how to use the ticket booth as well as the telephone. Sorry mom and dad I didn't have time to call you then but I had five minutes to get on my train and that means I had to call my friend first. That way she would know when to pick me up.
  I realize now of course I should have done something different then what i did to come over here but again I was a stubborn fool and it is an adventure anyways.
  One funny thing, I dialed the wrong number when I was trying to reach my friend. The kind lady had a good laugh on my account.

Outside my friends house

  So I am sitting on the train to Newcastle with my luggage separated since I don't know all the rules yet. I am going to have to change trains in Haymarket to get to Newcastle but all and all I am having a great time. This entire time I am like "pinch me, this is a dream". It is going to take me a bit before I feel like it is real. I'll post again with my time in Newcastle.