Winter break ended with my two friends and I joking about how fun it would be to explore Ireland for spring break. Next thing I knew, I was on my way to the airport to catch a fight to the Emerald Island with my passport and an overflowing suitcase in the middle of March, hoping and praying that I would make it through the airport without my mom and dad.
Things were going exceptionally smoothly: we arrived at the airport with plenty of time to spare, made it through security with ease, and even had time to indulge in some overly priced airport food. We should have known that there was trouble ahead; we tend to be very unlucky people. About an hour before we were supposed to board the plane, our flight got delayed. No big deal, right? Well, we had a connecting flight to make in Edinburgh, so naturally, we panicked. Actually, if I'm being honest, my friends were stressed...I panicked. After a teary-eyed call to my mom and an unsuccessful wait in line to speak to customer service, we decided to get on the plane to Edinburgh with our fingers crossed that there would be another connecting flight to Cork. Not to mention our luggage was heading there no matter what.
We finally boarded the plane to Edinburgh, immediately popping the melatonin to ease the nerves and hopefully get some sleep. For me, though, as I'm sure it is for most people, planes are like an automatic signal for my anxiety to skyrocket. So, sleep was put off while the sweaty palms and racing heart set in. Eventually, thanks to the calmness of my friends, I found myself dozing off, though the cramped leg room and fussy child behind me led to a very choppy sleep.
Nevertheless, we landed in Edinburgh, only to find that we did indeed miss our connecting flight to Cork. Obviously, panic set in again, and the three of us were running around an airport in Scotland desperately hoping not to have to spend an extra day in a country we were extremely unfamiliar with. After making a fool out of myself by attempting to buy a coffee with euros and dollars in a country that uses pounds, and collecting our luggage only to recheck it and go through security for a second time, we finally found ourselves on a plane. Except we were not heading to Cork; we were heading to London! I didn't think I would be in London until I studied abroad next year, but here we were on our way to Heathrow airport, as that was our best option.
Another uncomfortable and sleepless plane ride later and we were attempting to navigate our way through the maze that is Heathrow airport. Adding to our traveling hassles, when we retrieved our luggage, we realized the snow from Scotland had soaked all of our clothes, leaving us with damp and smelly outfits for the rest of the trip. After dragging our sopping suitcases through a train, 3 elevators, and what seemed like a mile long tunnel, we finally made it to our terminal, feeling overtired and hungry.
I had never been more happy to get on a plane than I had been to get on that final plane to Cork. After an hour-long delay and an unsatisfying meal, all we wanted was to sleep until we landed. But, thanks to the cheerful yells and the sweaty scent of the Waterford Gaelic Football Team, we spent the final ride holding our noses and being continuously woken by their hearty laughs.
Finally, we made it to Cork and were greeted by the familiar and comforting smile of my Uncle Pat. Don't let the title of this article fool you...We had the greatest trip and made so many everlasting memories. Looking back on what we assumed was the worst thing that could've happened, I realized that my friends and I are more responsible and mature than we gave ourselves credit for. Not to mention that we didn't kill each other, which was greatly expected considering how much time we spent being stressed and uncomfortable in countless new environments. Thankfully, after 6 days well spent, we had a much smoother and quicker trip home. We were eager to travel all over again, however, despite the countless challenges that we now know are bound to occur.
