Flying

I love travelling. And I love flying. The idea of getting some place far just in a few hours makes my heart leap. A big YES to flying. Except for one little problem: I get really-really sick during the take-off and landing. Which is no problem, because I have my magic travel pills that make sure I don’t get sick. The side effects are a little problem, though. I get slightly dizzy and very sleepy for hours and hours after the flight. And THAT was not an option when I was flying to Italy last Friday. I wanted to make sure we’d still be able to enjoy the rest of the evening.

I remembered my victorious Efteling experience last August and decided to give it a try. No pill. I just need to sleep enough, make sure I eat well, drink enough and have no headache. Then I’d have a chance to win this one too. The plan looked perfect. It just didn’t work. I slept for five hours, had to do some biking around the city which meant no proper drinking. I had no time for a proper lunch either. I still had pain in my back and shoulders and I was tense because of the idea I might get terribly sick on the plane. This combination gave me a headache.

I travel alone pretty often and it’s never a problem, but this time I felt really lonely. There was no one to hold my hand and tell me it’ll be all right. There was no one to chat with to forget my worries during the take-off. It was the first time I was kind of afraid to fly.

I’ve survived the take-off, the whole flight and the landing. I came off the plane tired, still a little scared and suffering quite a headache. I was not so fit for an enjoyable evening after all. Hmmm. We had an enjoyable evening though. The headache was gone after I’d had my pizza and a glass of wine. And the tension dissolved into thin air after a nice massage when the candles and the fireplace were lit.

It’s only on my way back yesterday that I was able to truly enjoy the victory. I was flying! And I was not sick. Another victory! So what’s next? Sailing? Space travelling?

Escher in Lounge 4 @Schiphol