Saturday 6 October 2012

I don't always travel in high heels, but when I do, it's a 18 hours trip to Vilnius.

part 1
After losing my phone at the security check, in Porto. I got to London Gatwick where I was told my flight to Riga was delayed an hour and a half. With this delay, I was probably going to miss the next one, from Riga to Vilnius, and wasn't even sure how I could call and warn Elena, who was picking me from the airport.
I went to the Airlines Office, looking visibly nervous (as I always get about airport things) and barely forming sentences. The man at the desk told me I would be fine and Airbaltic had all the responsabilty and would, for sure, provide me with a way to Vilnius that same day.
He was in his late sixties, gray-haired with blue eyes, and looked exactly like a worker from Megabus that had helped me when I was in London, earlier this year, waiting for my night bus to Glasgow. 
Both times, they were so nice and paternal, calling me "dear" and assuring me that everything would be alright, that I really wanted to hug them and scream "thank you so much! I wish we were related in some way and I could send you a present for christmas!" Later on, I wrote on my sketchbook this note:

Dear Joana from the Future,
Nerver forget you're undying love and respect for old british men that work in station/airline desks.



part 2
After talking with him. I tought about turning my computer on and writing Elena an email, but I quickly remembered that plugs in England are different. Instead, I went around the airport trying to find a payphone I could use with Euros (just picture me walking fast and mumbling to myself like a grumpy old lady "mghghghthisdamncountryghghrhrhghheverything'sdifferentghghgtheythinktheyresospecialhhghg"
I finally found one and managed to call her. After having some trouble getting the country code right, it finally started ringing.

but Elena wasn't picking up.
so I called my mum at her workplace.
nothing.
(oh maybe she's at home) I called home.
nothing
I called Elena again.
Finally! She picked up, but as I was starting to tell her what had happened the phone beeped and this appears on the screen:

£0.00

"FUCK!!" I screamed to the phone speaker.
THE PHONE HUNG UP! GAAAAH! WHAT IF I CANT CALL HER? WHAT IF THERE'S NOT ANOTHER FLIGHT TO VILNIUS? WHY DID I GO AND LOSE MY PHONE?! AND WHY ARE THE PLUGS ALL DIFFERENT HERE?! JEN TOLD ME THEY WERE SAFER, BUT ARE THERE REALLY THAT MANY PEOPLE DYING FROM ACCIDENTS WITH NORMAL TWO-HOLE PLUGS? I DON'T THINK SO!
I'm going for my wallet cursing everything and wondering if I would have enough money to make a second call when I hear Elena's voice shyly saying
"aaa.. is everything ok?"

I didn't know if I was relieved the call was still on, or mortified that I had just sweared loudly at the girl who was picking me up from the airport.

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