At the time, it seemed like such a good idea. My mom explained to me that I would fly from Newark to Los Angeles where I would meet a group to fly out of the country with. All I needed to remember was to turn left. My Dad repeatedly told me that once I got out of terminal seven, all I had to do was turn left and walk straight to get to the Tom Bradley International Terminal at LAX. Easy enough.
When my flight landed in LAX, I was ecstatic to be in California for the first time, humming Miley Cyrus,’ “Party in the USA” repeatedly. I realized I would not be leaving the airport, but I was intoxicated by the California vibe. With Hollywood right down the street, I imagined all the celebrities I could meet, and what my first In-N-Out Burger would taste like.
However, once I got off the plane, I noticed how unfamiliar I was with LAX and airports in general. I am a kid; I am used to following my parents around in the airports, not really paying attention. I saw a stream of people from my flight going one way and decided to follow them. Luckily, all those people were going to baggage claim so I quickly collected my bag and walked outside of the terminal. Before I left, my parents gave me a blurry map of LAX, so I pulled that out of my bag and remember what my parents told me: turn left. This was the big moment I had been waiting for. I turned left and started walking down the sidewalk, but after five minutes of walking purposefully, I started to get anxious. Was I going the right way? What if I missed my next flight -- which was in five hours. What do I do? With all these questions circulating in my head, I did what every kid does when they are in trouble -- I called my parents.
My dad answered the phone and before I realized it, I was on the verge of tears. Hearing his voice was so comforting in an unfamiliar area and I could not help myself. My dad reassured me that I was OK and everything was going to be fine. Five minutes later, I calmed down and described where I was to my dad. He told me all I had to do was keep walking straight. I thanked my dad and hung up, mentally head-butting myself for being such an idiot.
After what seemed like hours, I found myself at the International Terminal. I walked inside with a big head because I found the terminal all by myself! But my head was quickly deflated when I walked into the bustling terminal. People were exiting and entering the building from 10 different sets of doors, travelers were taking photos all around me and the noise of the traffic outside was floating into the building. Again, I caved and called my dad. He easily directed me to where I had to drop my bag. By this point, all I wanted was to find my group so I could relax and prepare for a 15- hour flight. I ended the call with my Dad once I made it to the check-in lines and stood looking for my group for 20 minutes. They ended up being right next to me and after another mental head butt, I finally relaxed.
The rocky start in the airport in the beginning was nothing like on my way home. I easily navigated the airport, going from terminal to terminal making it successfully from LAX to Newark. And on the way home, I did have my California moment. I spotted a large security guard escorting Kylie Jenner through the exit of LAX.
