I never thought that my first experience on an airplane would be an eight hour flight out of the United States. I always thought I would get on a plane to go to Florida or something first, never Europe. On top of this being my first flight and first time out of the United States, I went without my family. I was with my friends, and although I still felt alone and terrified, it was an experience I will never forget.
I traveled to the Czech Republic, Poland, Hungary, and Austria with a group called "GeoAddicts" from my high school. They travel to a different area of the world every year. Luckily the trip scheduled for my senior year of high school included several days in Poland. I am of Polish descent, so I was excited to be able to take this journey. My trip included several stops at many historical sites such as castles, palaces, churches, museums, and cemeteries in several countries.
I spent three years fundraising and saving money to pay for my trip. It seemed like it would never be time to leave, then before I knew it I was packing my suitcase. My parents drove me to the airport, and the closer we got to the terminal, the more nervous I became. What was I doing? How am I going to do this without my mom? I don't speak any of the languages, other than how to say "please" in Polish? How am I going to communicate?
Once I found my group in the terminal, my nerves started to settle. I can do this! Until I boarded the plane... None of our group was able to sit together. I was alone, on my first flight. An eight hour non-stop to Schipol Airport in Amsterdam. The anxiety started to come back.
I was able to sleep for some of the flight, and once I changed planes in Amsterdam my nerves settled down. I was going to Europe! I am going to have a great time, I am going to enjoy this (possibly) once in a lifetime trip. My tour started as soon as my feet hit the ground in Prague. I was so busy, I didn't have time to be homesick, or scared, or nervous. I enjoyed the food, the sights, the people, everything about the trip was fantastic.
All my fears and anxiety about traveling alone were completely unfounded. I learned a new independence during my trip. I learned how to communicate without knowing the native language. I learned how to read a map to find my way around a new city. I was given a new level of freedom during my trip, and it was a fantastic learning experience. I am so glad I went to Europe, it's an experience I wouldn't trade for anything in the world. If you're thinking about traveling to a foreign country but you're nervous about it, don't be. Just get on the plane, the bus, the boat, whatever, you won't regret it.
