Today is a new day, the first day of my rebirth. For the first time, I am traveling abroad. My heart is fluttering; I feel as if I'm sipping lemonade on a sun lounger by the beach. Ah, I hope this journey brings me new joy and hope.
"Derya, where are you? Hurry up and come downstairs!"
"I'm coming, Mom!"
It seemed as if my mother was not waiting for me, as if she were the one traveling. What's all this excitement about? I tucked my sunscreen and lip balm into my suitcase as a final touch. "Yes, it's done." I opened the door. As the cool breeze caught my light brown hair, I took a deep breath. My mother had already placed both of my suitcases in the car. I waved at her with a sweet smile.
"Honey, what took you so long? Hurry, we're going to be late!"
"I'm here, aren't I? Honestly, I don't understand why you're in such a rush."
"If you miss the flight, you'll cry for two hours. That's why I'm stressed."
"Mom, there are still two and a half hours left. How could we possibly miss it?"
"You never know what might happen on the road. Are you really talking to your mother like that? Come on, move it!"
"Okaaaay..."
I got into the front seat. I had a strange feeling inside. I was sure I hadn't forgotten anything, but why was my heart aching like this? At that moment, my 'Jellyfish Notebook' flashed through my mind.
"Mom!"
"Yes?"
"I had a Jellyfish notebook. Do you know where it is?"
"It was in your room."
"WHAT! WAS IT IN MY ROOM?"
My mother slammed on the brakes. My heart leaped into my throat. Taking deep breaths, I whispered, "Mom..." Her gaze was so sharp that I felt a shiver of fear.
"Derya, why are you screaming? I thought something happened!"
"I think I left my Jellyfish notebook at home."
"Oh, my dear girl... you should have told me."
"I just did, Mom! You said it was at home."
"I knew you'd forget it, so look in the glove compartment."
I opened the glove compartment. My Jellyfish notebook was right there. I flipped through the pages. All my plans and drawings were inside this notebook. I started searching through the pages.
"Where is it, where is it? Yes, found it!"
I began reading out loud.
"Our first adventure..."
My sentence cut off. I looked at my mother. I owed her an explanation.
"Sorry, Mom. I think I forgot to explain this to you."
"You think?" she said mockingly.
"This notebook is very important to me. All my travels and plans are inside, you know that."
"Of course I know. That's why I put it there," my mother replied.
"Thanks, Mom."
She smiled. She turned on the song "Coastline" by Hollow Coves on the car radio and started the engine. I began reading out loud all the travel notes I had taken in my notebook. Those thirty minutes in the car were beautiful. Watching the trees speed by through the window, catching the wind, and taking deep breaths... Ah, that feeling of truly being alive.
Half an hour later, we reached the airport. As my mother tried to grab both of my suitcases, I stopped her.
"Mom, what are you doing? You're going to hurt yourself. Give one to me."
"I'll be fine."
"Mom, please!"
"Fine, fine... you stubborn girl. Here, take it."
She handed one to me. We walked into the airport with my ocean-blue suitcase. After getting through security, it was time for check-in. After waiting in a long line, it was finally my turn. A middle-aged woman sitting at the desk asked for my passport. I opened my bag with excitement. Just as I was thinking, "I wish I had taken it out earlier, then I wouldn't be this stressed." I dropped the passport on the floor.
"Sorry, just a second," I said nervously. The woman looked bored. Ignoring her expression, I picked it up. "Ha, here is my passport and ID."
While the officer examined the documents, she pointed to the black conveyor belt. "You can place your luggage here." I was so excited I felt like I was going to trip over my own feet. "Uh, okay, sure," I stammered, I placed both suitcases on the belt.
"Your visa is all set. This is your boarding pass. Don't forget to hand it to the staff. Have a nice flight," she said, a faint, involuntary smile appearing on her face. Holding my passport, ID, and boarding pass, I walked toward my mother. I looked a bit clumsy and dazed, but that's a different story. I took my mother's hands and showed her the pass.
"Here it is!"
"Derya, calm down a bit. You look more excited than I am."
"But Mom, I'm traveling! For a full eight days and nine nights!"
"I know... Ah, maybe I shouldn't let you go? What will I do for eight days and nine nights without you?"
"Haha... Mom, please don't."
"Hurry now, your plane will be boarding soon."
"What? What time is it?"
"1:00 PM."
"What? 1:00 PM? My flight leaves in half an hour. How did two hours pass so quickly?"
"I told you. You never listen," my mother said, continuing, "Let's say our goodbyes before you fly toward new journeys." Her eyes welled up with tears. It wasn't my first time flying, but I had never traveled this far for before. Still, the way my throat tightened and my eyes began to tear up wasn't pleasant at all.
"Mom, don't do this, you'll make us both cry."
My mother smiled. "Go safely, and come back safely, my beautiful girl. The important thing on this journey is to discover yourself and create a 'new you' with everything you learn." My mother added, "Don't forget to call me when you land in Athens."
"I will," I called out from a distance. I handed my pass to the gate agents, took one last look back, and entered the departure lounge. I slumped into one of the metal chairs. First flight: Greece. "Wait for me, Greece!" I thought to myself.
The boarding area was already crowded. "Everyone is going to get on the plane anyway, I shouldn't stand and wait for a long time." I held my boarding pass in my hand and watched my surroundings. An old woman sitting right across from me was constantly staring at me. I was starting to feel uncomfortable. Since I couldn't just ask an old woman, "Why are you looking at me?" we just kept staring at each other. While telling myself, "Nothing can ruin my mood," I noticed everyone was slowly being boarded, and I jumped to my feet.
I joined the line. I showed my boarding pass. After greeting the flight attendants, I started looking for my seat.
"7F." "7F..." "Here it is. Yes! Window seat!" I think I shouted a bit too loudly. But what can I do? It was my first time sitting by the window. Well, actually, once when we were visiting my grandmother domestically, I had a window seat, but this was different it was my first time having a window seat while flying abroad. Anyway, I really loved my spot. I noticed the old woman from earlier again. Actually, looking closely, I realized her face looked even younger than mine, even though she was old. The old lady slowly started approaching me, still staring only at me. I felt uneasy. Then, she sat down right in the seat next to me. My face fell instantly, or maybe I was in shock. I don't know; experiencing both emotions at the same time didn't feel good. The old woman looked at me with a smile. I smiled back. She looked like a very sweet person, but the truth was, her constant staring was scaring me. Suddenly, the old lady said;
"Μωρό μου," in Greek.
This old lady, whom I didn't know, was Greek. While I was feeling sad that I didn't know Greek, I said with curious eyes;
"I'm sorry, I don't understand."
The woman smiled. "Τι όμορφο, τι όμορφο!" she continued.
"I'm sorry, I really don't understand..."
I was embarrassed to keep repeating it, but the lady just kept looking at me and smiling. I guess at that moment, the language barrier was my only problem in the world. Ah, what a great punishment this language issue is, I thought.
"I know, little girl. My name is Angeliki. It's nice to meet you."
"Oh! I didn't know you spoke English."
"I know, because I didn't say I did."
Just as I was wondering what exactly was happening, the plane began to take off. I held my breath for a short second. I looked toward the sky. There it was that view. A new journey was waiting for me. I was worried that this two-hour flight would be boring, but talking to the curious lady next to me felt good. Then, the captain spoke;
"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking. Welcome aboard. Our flight to Athens will take approximately two hours. Please keep your seatbelts fastened and switch all mobile devices to flight mode. Sit back and enjoy the flight." About an hour later, while the flight attendant was looking around, I checked my phone discreetly.
(Time: 2:30 PM)
I would be in Athens in an hour and a half. Before I could even translate my feelings, the curious lady next to me started asking questions.
"Where are you from? You look Greek."
"No. I'm from Türkiye."
"Oh, I see, my mistake. You must be traveling to Athens for a visit."
"Yes, it will be my first trip, so I'm very excited."
I paused. I wanted to keep up with the old woman's pleasant conversation and added, "Actually, I'm going to visit the island of Crete." Just then, the pilot gave the instructions for landing. As the plane descended slowly, I took a deep breath. The sky looked beautiful. I took out my phone and snapped a few photos. When would I ever see this view of the sky again? A few minutes later, the flight attendant announced that we could exit shortly. I turned to the old lady.
"I'm sorry. I didn't get a chance to introduce myself. I'm Derya. It was nice to meet you. I really enjoyed our chat."
People began to leave slowly. That was the moment I realized my adventure had truly begun.
I sat on the iron benches, waiting for my next flight. I stood up and tucked my book into my bag. After showing my boarding pass to the officer, I headed toward the plane. The flight attendants greeted me with smiles. I sat in my seat. I was right in the middle. There was no passenger in the window seat. After waiting a few minutes and seeing that no one came, I moved to the window. It shouldn't stay empty, right? I smiled to myself. During this time, I listened to music and drifted into daydreams.
"Dear passengers, this is your captain David Smith. We have landed at Heraklion International Airport. Please remain seated with your seatbelts fastened and do not use your mobile phones until the seatbelt sign is turned off. The outside temperature is 34 degrees Celsius. We wish you a pleasant day."
(30 minutes later…)