L’avion

by theboneyqueenofnowhere

There aren’t many words to describe what it was like after I had left everyone and really started exchange. I felt in control, but very vulnerable at the same time. After all, it was the first time I had ever been truly on my own. I was waiting for it to hit me, but all the same I thought maybe it wouldn’t – maybe some part of my mind had put up a shield against it, because already the petits tastes of realisation that I’d had were too much.

The flight had been delayed three hours, so I wandered for some time before I met up with a few other exchange students. Kirsten, April, Brooke and Riley were their names. All were going to different parts of France. It was a little awkward at first, I think everyones minds were still lingering on thoughts of their recent farewells.

On the plane I sat next to Riley. I tried to go to sleep straight away because I knew I wouldn’t be able to unless I did straight up. I’m proud to say that I slept for probably 3/4 of the trip. Literally every time I woke up, no matter what time it was, I would force myself to fall back to sleep. Before I knew it, we were in Dubai. Though because the first flight was delayed, we had missed the second flight and had to wait another 8 hours. It passed quickly enough though, I had the best smoothie of my life and played videogames. C’est la vie.

Before the next flight, we discovered that another exchange student had lost her passport and had to stay in Dubai. I can scarcely imagine how horrible that would have been. Come to think of it, I still don’t know what happened to her…

On the flight to Paris, I slept. Apparently I also slept talked and moved around heaps – pretty awkward for the Frenchie sitting next to me! Soon enough we touched down – I was almost eagerly awaiting everything to finally hit me, but it didn’t. I kept thinking, maybe when I speak French or maybe when we’re driving away from the airport…

But no. We got to the hotel and I met my Spanish tri-lingual friend/room mate Carolina for the first time. I was surprised that almost everyone spoke English. In fact, they had the whole three day camp in English even though there were over 200 students from all over the world. But of the entire three days, only a few things stand out. Yes, we got to see the Eiffel Tower. Though it’s been a little too over-glorified to really have amazed me. The best bits of the camp were simply talking with all the other students. One night, even though I was so exhausted, I stayed up until the AM just having a laugh with an American girl and Riley.

One other thing stands out: on the first night, just as I had relaxed under the sheets in the darkness I heard fireworks outside. I knew that the days ahead were going to be just as awkward and difficult as those leading up to my departure, but just in that moment I was in the space inbetween – the eye of the storm. But even more importantly, those fireworks somehow signified a new beginning as well as an end to all the trivial matters of my adolscence.