January Fools

I started writing just yesterday morning to process my emotions about leaving for Greece again, the second goodbye. 

It went something like this...

A double seat at the emergency escape. The place next to me empty. In most situations this is the best seat in the house: all the extra leg room, zero concern about accidentally resting on a stranger or having to uncomfortably compact my legs into the narrow gap between my bag and the metal divider under the seat. But in my case, the emptiness is exactly what I didn't need to intensify my loneliness. 

The flight steward, sitting parallel but in reverse to me, patrolled the surrounding area with his eyes, restless in his temporary seat. Restless just like my mind, which spiralled away from the page, trying to conceal sadness, although not very well. Tears rolled down my cheeks, collected in the fold between my neck pillow and my chin and soaked their way through my only packet of tissues.

A 30 minute delay on the runway didn't help at all. Expectant of immediate replies to goodbye messages despite the early time of take-off, yet confronted with more emptiness in this waiting period between home and there (the cold dorm which awaited my return). 

...

I looked forward hopefully and optimistically to my imminent arrival in the familiar environment of my dorm room and the company of my group of Erasmus friends, but instead, I now write again following another obstacle in my course. 

It was a smooth flight from Athens to my small university city until the pilot announced our immediate return to Athens' airport due to weather conditions which aren't conducive to successful landing. 

Alone again, therefore, I virtually envy the coffee and lunch outings which take place without me at my destination whilst regretting my early departure from home; this time in the airport could have easily been substituted with more valuable time spent with those I love. 

What does one do in the airport when delayed? I finished my book on the return flight to Athens, I utilised the voucher provided as compensation to feast on things I wouldn't usually extend my student funds to, I continue to stress about my suitcase which should theoretically be transferred into the hold of my new flight later this evening, I stress some more about whether this flight will also never land, I stress even more about the exams which I plan to start revising for tomorrow (but also don't want to commit to revising now since I know this will stress me out more)... 

So I resort to typing my pains away as a solution to my problems. 

Revisions...

I'm back again. Not just to blogging about this fiasco but back TO ATHENS. My second attempt at flying to university ended the same as the first. Following an announcement that we will be arriving in 10 minutes, a turbulent (and frankly quite terrifying) turn was made back to the original location. 

That was the final straw for me. 

I had some hope that I wouldn't have to relive my morning experience but, I was wrong. 

Another walk of shame from the aeroplane which never landed. Tearful Cypriot students with no overnight accommodation lugged their baggage back to the waiting room. Angry professors demanded answers. Tourists squinted and craned their necks to hear the English translation on the tannoys over the volume of native speech. 

I felt the urgency of making a decision creep up on me. Was I to decide that the plane was a false hope? Should I book a ticket for the 7 hour journey on the coach (most likely to be 12 hours due to the farming protests on the highway)? How do I get to the front of the queue of shouting, demanding passengers? And when I do get to the front, how do I hold the attention of the staff member for the duration of all of my questions? 

More than 48 hours later...

I'm back in my cold dorm room! I finally made it after 3 painful days of travelling! 3 really is a lucky number: 3 days, 3 flights...