"Sorry to say but I can't stay …" Today was departure day from Barcelona for everyone. Dad and I were off to Serbia while the rest of the crew was on route back to Canada. Didn't have much repacking to do so I was able to get a good sleep in before the trip. The flight to Serbia only took 2 hours so it was basically the equivalent of my usually flight from Winnipeg to Hamilton which covers only two Provinces in Canada. Througout this flight I passed through a couple of countries, a couple of parts of the Mediterranean - which is still a hard concept for me to put into context some times haha. But we arrived in Belgrade without too many delays. I don't think I have ever seen seat aisles on an airplane so narrow but luckily my five-feet-something worked to my average this time. My dad has no idea what I'm talking about as he is a 'business class flyer' - overrated I'm telling you. Having a free drink is not even that great of a deal because it guarantees you trip to the washroom, which can be an even bigger of a hassle on a foreign plane with funny looking toilets and no English signs haha ... mildly kidding ... it really was a fine flight.
I don't think I had prepared myself enough to know what surroundings I was landing in so my optionated canvas was blank with only Canadian comparison. Did I mention I don't remember anything from European history class??
Well it was interesting from the moment I was out of the airport, so many different sights and expected norms gone! I can't even give options or perspectives because 30mins in I knew it was going to take a while to rap my head around everything. So for now I'm on the other side of the 'immigration' experience, the one who can't explain myself to get what I need in stores and the one who will probably put my foot in my mouth many times to learn different parts of the culture. But I'm excited to observe and 'learn' ... I'm finally getting a sense of what people mean when they say 'travelling helps you grow as person'. I'm definitely not anywhere near there but that feeling of uncomfortable-situations-ahead has settled in so I'm in for an experience ...
"Live consciously, continuously and with out fear of the unknown"
Mich
Yep, it is always a humbling experience, but FUN to travel to places where your basic form of human communication is not readily available to access for the simple pleasures of everyday life. For instance, how many of us coffee addicts think of what it would be like to ask for our "morning java jolt" in Serbian (when we don't know the language)? Yikes, I am going into with- drawl just thinking about it! When you really think about it we use the oral form of communication so many times in our daily lives that we forget it really is a gift. Language allows us so many freedoms and pleasures.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, Undeclared Major, keep on enjoying your European Adventures!
55Marie-Louise