And So It Begins

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So after 10 months of waiting the day was finally here and I was off on my travels. I had all my stuff ready to go the day before so it was just a case of have a bite to eat, say goodbye to my dog for a year, hide the fact that I was a little choked up and jump in the car.
The drive to Exeter wasn't too bad, I sat quietly in the back on my phone (facebook) saying goodbye to everybody and getting a last bit of banter in with my mates.
We arrive in Exeter bus station and hung around in the smeary perspex cage that is the dedicated non-smoking area and wait for the bus. Once it arrives theres the usual scramble of people and game of sardines as people push and shuffle closer to the bus to get on first. I stand back, watch and smile as my Dad nags me to "go on get on" (trying to get rid of me to the very last second).
I say goodbye and notice some pink eyes from the people that have spent the last 26 years crafting me into the adventurer that was now standing on the threshold to a possible new life on the other side of the world.

Inside there's a strong thick humid smell of sick... nice. I find an empty seat next to an old man and settle in, noticing that the smell was comming from a little girl and the back of the seat in front of her about 2 seats down. Her mum still trying to feed her hola hoops.... Why?!
The rest of the trip was pretty uneventful, facebook, texting and reading my book and listening to the old guy next to me try and suck something out of his teeth. The airport arose from the sea of concrete and tarmac that I've learnt to represent our nations capital and as the bus pulled up and we all bailed out collecting our luggage one thought was going through my head "Oh Crap".
Heathrow Airport, by myself, was a daunting concept, right, think, its like Bristol, just WAY bigger. Board, board, yes there must be a board somewhere to tell me where to go. Ah, that'd be this colosal 2 story high sign next to me that everyones staring at. Well it's around 4 o clock and my flights not until around 10 so I go in search of somewhere to sit for 6 hours and read.
My first selected location was downstairs, however as it got busier one of the airport cleaners decided to park his trolley between me and the adjacent pillar funnelling human traffic towards me. I think it was after the 4th of 5th kick that i decided to seek calmed waters. I collected my pack and headed upstairs where I found a lovely little quiet area with no one around.
About an hour later I was joined by a group of school kids on their return to New Zealand after a trip to Italy. They all sat around me, close around me as if they had adopted me as their mascot. After they had left I decided to fight my fast growing abandonment issues by going to see it I could check in early. I was informed that I could check in whenever I liked... Doh!
The big bag ditched I was off for some coffee, walked into the departure lounge and there it stood, the Mecca of the weary, STARBUCKS! I hurried in and orded a mega choca blocker heart stopped latte grande thing, sunk back into my book whilst supping the sweet diluted energy, and burning my mouth in the process. This is how i passed the remainder of the time until my flight.

The plane was huge, 2 fricking aisles, stunning Asian ladies beckoning me aboard and helping me to my seat in which I sat and smiled. An 11" touch screen tv was in front of me loaded with over 40 films, mucis, tv series and information. Determined to get my monies worth I began to watch the first one before the plane moved. As we took off all the nerves I had dissipated, smiling to myself, knowing I had made the right move.

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