If You Can Make It Here, You Can Make It Anywhere …
Never had I ever thought that I would have a chance to visit New York City, let alone on a solo trip. New York is a city many dream of living in, a place where dreams turn into reality. It’s a city that allows you to dream big, knowing the possibilities are limitless. It’s among the best of the best. Witnessing even a glimpse of New York for 2 days was definitely not enough to appreciate all this city has to offer.
Truth be told, flying to NYC was my first time solo traveling abroad, and the trip began with panic, if not the worst.
Having traveled to six countries across the globe, I never imagined I would miss my flight on my first solo trip. But there I was, missing my flight to NYC. Here’s how it happened.
At first, Rod suggested I take a train near where we were staying and transfer a few times to get directly to the airport. It’s fast and free (because I look like an under-18 kid in the US—no one believes I’m actually turning 21 in a few days, which is a proud thing I recall about being Asian LOL).
However, I think Rod didn’t trust me to go on a train alone at night; it’s quite scary, and you never know what might happen. Or maybe he wanted to take me to the airport himself to say goodbye one last time. It could be both, but I think the second reason makes more sense.
We left the house 3 hours before check-in, and it took about 45 minutes to an hour to ride to the airport. Guess what happened next? We were stuck in insane traffic, just 2 or 3 miles from the airport, for 2 hours. We could see the airplanes taking off one after another. We were so close!
After being stuck in a terrible traffic jam, we finally made it to the airport. We hugged and said goodbye one last time, not knowing what would happen next. P.S. I begged Rod to come with me a thousand times, but he just didn’t.
The lines for check-in and security were the worst. There were at least 3 lines on each side, all stretching as far as the eye could see, with 2 to 3 security points for different gates, all packed.
I first asked a police officer to make sure I was in the right line, and they said yes. So, I walked into the line for my gate like everyone else. However, time was ticking faster and faster while the lines barely moved. I noticed some people were rushing, changing lines to other gates. I realized they were in the same situation as me: I had 15 minutes left until boarding, but I was stuck in a line that didn’t move.
I asked people in front of me who barely spoke English about their boarding time. Their answer shocked me: their boarding time was 2 hours away. That’s when I know I was fucked up, that’s when I realized I had been in the wrong line, and I had to do something if I wanted to go to the city that never sleep.
So, I called Rod, telling him I was still stuck in line and my boarding time was getting closer. He advised me to ask the staff for help. So, I asked the people around me to save my spot while I searched for help. They agreed to watch out for me.
I asked anyone who looked like they worked there, from staff holding chairs for disabled or elderly people to the police and the check-in officer. The latter told me it wasn’t his problem, and I should go back to my line.
I wasn’t mad at him; there was no time for that. I had to get to my boarding gate. I did something I had never done before: I asked people in front of me to let me go first, explaining my situation with a sad face. About 10 people let me through, though they looked skeptical.
Because I had broken my hand and was wearing a cast, the police took an extra minute to scan it, which was frustrating.
Now, all I had to do was sprint, not just run, about 1 km to the boarding gate. I saw others also rushing and asked a guy if he was on the same plane. He was, and I told him, “Hopefully, we make it.” The weight of my bag felt heavier, and I was out of breath, it felt like there’s a knife over my throat each time I breath. I was out of breath. I wanted to stop and took a second to breath but I can’t, I almost got there, just a little closer, just keep going Jasp.
I finally made it to the boarding gate, almost vomiting, and the flight was delayed due to some inconveniences. More people arrived behind me, so I wasn’t the last to board. The guy running with me also made it. So, that’s just that, the story of my first time flying alone, not so good huh?
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Reflection:
This nerve-wracking experience taught me one thing: don’t be afraid to ASK. If I didn’t learn anything else, I learned to ask for help. It might make you look like an idiot, butwho cares when you’re about to miss a flight to a dream city? Who cares when you’re about to miss a rare opportunity? Just ASK.
