More Than a Blonde Moment
My palms were sweating profusely. I could feel the weight of my body start to turn my knees into jello. I kept reassuring myself that I could do this. But the devil on my shoulder always had a way of making me second guess myself. I was about to take off on the journey of a lifetime, and this was definitely the wrong time to be having second thoughts.
I had spent eight anticipating months fundraising and preparing for paradise−Australia. I was chosen to be part of a group of forty high school kids from Minnesota to travel for three weeks to one of the most amazing and exquisite places on Earth. The best part was that parents weren’t allowed. As a fifteen year-old, that is a big deal. I had never taken a trip without my parents for more than a weekend. Independence was just a 13-hour plane ride away. I decided to shove my nerves into the back of my head, and grow up already.
“Alright everyone, please line up so we can distribute the passports and get going!” Carol, one of the leaders, shouted. Forty anxious teenagers scrambled into a line, ready to just get on with the show. All forty sets of parents looked on, tears starting to form in their overprotective eyes. I glanced at my mother, but had to look away immediately. I knew it would be incredibly hard to say goodbye to her, and it would be impossible to do so without tears. I am her baby bird. But eventually, the bird grows up and has to fly out of the nest, right? Well, I was making a long inaugural flight, all the way to Sydney, Australia. I scanned the assembly of eager faces. All my peers seemed so sure of themselves, much unlike myself. The musty airport air embraced my nostrils, and making me homesick already. I studied the countless, unfamiliar faces around me. I knew no one. I was alone.
The leaders shuffled down the line, handing out the passports to all of my fellow travelers. Finally, after what seemed like years, they reached me. I studied Carol’s face as she fumbled through the stack of navy, leather books. “It’s got to be in here, I probably missed it”, she explained. My ears ignored her words. Adults were always losing things. Why couldn’t they be more organized? Carol reached the end of the stack again. “Annie, are you sure you turned in your passport to us?”
My stomach plummeted to the floor. No, I hadn’t. My eyes overflowed with tears immediately. “Ohmigod”, I choked through the tears. Carol pulled me aside, and motioned for my mom to join us. My mom held me tight as Carol called the organization headquarters.
“Well, if you can go home and grab your passport, there is another flight after ours heading out to Los Angeles. You will meet us out there, and then fly to Sydney with the group” Carol explained. My mom attentively processed the information, but I couldn’t get passed my disappointment in myself. The devil on my shoulder was right. I was obviously not ready for this.
The car ride home was a blur. My mom stroked my hair for the half-an-hour trip as I sobbed into my lap. “How could I be so immature and irresponsible?” I asked myself. I was so embarrassed that out of all the other kids, I had to be the young one who was naive enough to forget something as important as a passport.
We pulled into the drive way, and slumped into the house. I went straight upstairs to my room, to dig through all of my scrambled belongings in hopes of finding my key to freedom. Soon after I started my grand search, I heard a rumble of footsteps approach my room. The door swung open and I looked into my mom’s ecstatic face, “I found it! Grab your stuff! You got a plane to catch!”
Immediately I shot up, and sprinted out the door, not even bothering to put my shoes on. My mom whipped out of the driveway, and headed towards the interstate. Before this, I had always thought of my mom as a cautious, well-tempered driver. Well, not that day. She swerved in and out of lanes, traveling at speeds well over the speed limit. She cut off several angry drivers. Neither of us cared. We had twenty minutes to catch a flight to L.A., and were in desperate need of a miracle. I called Julie, another group leader, to notify her that I was on my way. They warned the airlines, and arranged for me to cut the line at security.
Finally, the car came to a screeching stop in front of the terminal. I hurriedly grabbed my bags and turned to my mom, as she began to cry. “I think I’m ready to go,” I said proudly.
“I know you are sweet pea! I love you!”
“I love you too Mom! Don’t worry about me!” I slammed the door and rushed inside. I headed straight to the security gate, and threw my carry-on bag onto the conveyer belt. Hurriedly, I stepped through the metal detector, and a buzzer blared from the device. Seriously? Could things get any worse? I had mere minutes until my plane would take off, and yet I was stuck in security. An employee had me step aside and searched my body with a hand-held device. I wanted to scream, “No, I don’t have a freaking bomb! Let me go already,” but I decided that would probably result in more time with the security officers. Finally, they gave me the “good-to-go”, and I took off. I sprinted down the terminal, searching for my gate. I whizzed by faceless travelers, feeling their stares search me up and down. I didn’t care for once. I was determined. I was unstoppable.
Finally I reached my gate, and spotted Julie by the entrance to the plane. She met my gaze, and we both giggled. “Well it’s about time Blondie!” She joked.
“Tell me about it!”
Julie led me inside the plane. I turned the corner to walk down the middle of the plane, as I felt hundreds of eyes on me. Then, the cabin erupted in applause, and I felt like the protagonist in an epic movie. I shuffled all the way to the back of the plane, to my seat, where I was greeted by all my peers. All I could do was smile. I finally knew I was ready. At that moment, the devil on my shoulder was nowhere to be found.
The entire flight to L.A. was filled with me telling my crazy story to everyone around me. It was definitely not your conventional ice breaker, but it worked. Throughout the trip I was crowned “the blonde”, for my further lapses in judgment. Fortunately, they were nowhere near as major as forgetting a passport. You better believe that thing was with me 24/7.
This is me holding a koala.
This is in Sydney, Australia, looking at the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We got to tour the Opera House and climb the bridge.
This is me snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, which can be seen from outer space.
