Hakuna Matata: It Means No Worries, Right?

I am 20 years old and I have never traveled anywhere by plane (ndege). Car (gari)? Yeah. Train (reli)? Sure. Boat (mashua)? Absolutely. Plane? Nope. Never. Not a once.

I (jokingly) like say that my philosophy is "go big or go home" and boy, did I really stay true to that when I decided that the first time I'd fly anywhere would be by myself to a place that is nearly 8,000 miles away! Nice job, Abby. My parents are probably going to have to pin a note to my shirt that says "If lost, please contact Mark and Kelly at...." 

I'm not completely unfamiliar with the concept of planes. I mean, my dad is an airplane mechanic and I've been in quite a few private jets of some pretty well-known celebrities (but those were on the ground and half the interior was ripped out). I know that there are two wings and a cockpit and an engine and probably some other important stuff, too. (Hopefully the left phalange and the party hats will be working!)

But it's not really the idea of flying that freaks me out. I'm not scared of heights, I don't get motion sickness, I don't mind my ears popping, and I'm not scared of a Lost or Cast Away situation happening. Honestly, navigating the airports is what I am most worried about. 

Thanks to TV and movies and books, I'm familiar with such concepts as "Baggage Claim" and "Terminal" but that's about where my knowledge stops. How do I check my luggage and how do I find my gate? I told my friend (rafiki) how I'd like to go outside during my 2 hour layover in Amsterdam. It's not like I was planning on going to visit the Anne Frank house per say. I just wanted to step outside, see the streets and the buildings (aren't they famous for their canals?). But when I explained this to her, she chastised me and said, "Abby, you're not going to have time for that. You'll have to go through security all over again." That thought had never crossed my mind.

One of my favorite pastimes is worrying needlessly over silly things. I know I'll get the hang of airports fairly quickly. And it's not like I can't ask for help! So I've decided that I'm going to approach navigating airports as if it is a mini adventure within my grand one!

Kwaheri and only 44 more days!