Day 1: Departure

As I'm sitting here in the Charlotte Airport two things come to mind: The first being that the day of departure has finally arrived and the second that I have absolutely no idea how to write a blog. I suppose the latter can only come from experience so I guess my writing will improve with time. Or it might get worse, who knows. The first thing is what I've been waiting for since we purchased the tickets in January.

The morning passed quite uneventfully. As my dad is away on a business trip I expected the morning to be hectic. My mom, although I love her dearly, can be quite unorganized and frantic when it comes to time and getting places. Since I was only half packed I was sure disaster would ensue. However, everything got packed (not neatly, but packed) and put into the car two hours ahead of schedule. I even had time to write a college application essay and send if off in the mail. My friend Natalie came over to soothe my nerves and say farewell and then we were off in the car on the way to lunch and the airport.

Anyone who knows me well knows that I have bad anxiety. Whether its going away on a weekend vacation or a trip to the doctors, some part inside of me is always anxious. Unfortunately it's the part of me that triggers my gag reflex. I expected my time at the airport to be a blur of bathroom visits and tearful goodbyes but thankfully that was not the case. I was even able to choke down two and a half chicken fingers and a handful of Cheerios; my last American communion.



Since I wasn't preoccupied vomiting everything in my stomach I was able to enjoy the last few minutes with my mom before it was time to say goodbye. I asked Quinn to take a picture of us before we left but instead he flooded my camera with selfies so this is what he gets:









It was only after we checked in through security- I got the full body pat down.. Do I look that suspicious?- that I began to feel nostalgic and anxious. I'm excited for this trip but also a bit nervous.

Will I get homesick? What if I'm not hungry? Language barrier, hello!

Swallowing a mouth full of nerves, Quinn and I took our seats on the plane where he proceeded to go on his phone and leave me to my own devices. This mainly involved taking pictures of nothing.









It turns out that planes from Tallahassee are extremely small and full of old people. I felt kind of silly taking pictures of the plane while they stared sternly at their laptops, briefcases in hand. I quickly got over this feeling though and continued taking pictures anyways.









The plane ride to Charlotte went by extremely fast. Quinn and I played cards which he (sadly) beat me at...





The lady sitting diagonal from us was flying from Tallahassee back to Charlotte after attending FSU First Semester Abroad orientation with her daughter. I heard them talking about London and kind of barged into their conversation letting them know that I wanted to do that as well. They were extremely nice and talked to me for awhile about their plans for college and London. It was nice to hear a motherly voice as well after being depressed about leaving mine.

The Charlotte landing strip looked surprisingly like Tallahassee's twin. Desolate.



However once inside it was the most gorgeous airport I've ever seen (way better than Chicago!)












The first thing we did upon arrival was book it across the airport to the international terminal. I asked for directions from the cleaning lady because she looked like she knew what she was doing. After running all the way across the airport we were greeted with friendly faces from the Lufthansa people. The guy who checked us in joked around with us and made me feel really comfortable about traveling without parents. It turns out that people are really nice to minors- nicer than people would normally be.

Quinn dragged me to Starbucks so he could get his coffee fix in the small break we have before our flight to Munich. Why he is drinking coffee now I'm not sure. It's all on him if he doesn't get enough sleep tonight.

A fast call to Mom soothed my nerves even more and I found myself giddily running back to our terminal, dancing along to the music they are playing really loudly. I think Quinn wants to disown me but too bad, he's stuck with me.

We found a spot to sit and wait for our plane and that's where I'm writing this now. I can genuinely say that I am truly excited for this trip. Riding one plane solo is enough to boost anyone's confidence. My stomach is growling a little and still no sign of vomit! This is good news.









A thoughtful bed for weary travelers:


Quinn is happy to travel with me



Update: We have boarded the plane. For what everyone says about planes and airports, the ones we have been on thus far have been absurdly warm. Our plane is extremely comfortable and the staff is all German.












They are calling for phones off so I will have to continue tomorrow. Write on the flip side!

Location:Charlotte Airport