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I woke up to the sound of a dog barking in my ear. Over and over the dog barked and I slowly woke out of my deep sleep to realize it was my iPod alarm going off. Last night I had arrived to my hostel close to 4am from the club and there were two people already sleeping in my bed. I tiptoed back downstairs and asked the host where I was going to sleep. The host charged up to the room filled with twenty-three sleeping bodies and had to find me an empty bed to sleep in. I must have been worried last night about waking up to catch my flight so apparently set my alarm at 7am to a barking dog alarm tune out of all the ones to select. Now the next morning, my mind tricked me to think that someone had a loose dog in the hostel so awoke annoyed that this animal was disturbing my sleep. Eventually, I snapped out of it and realized it was my alarm. Now it was time to fly home to the U.S.
I didn't know how much time I had wasted on sleeping through the alarm, but knew I didn't have time to check. I opened my locker, threw all my loose items in my pack and sprinted to the bus. It was so different walking in the streets of Barcelona at seven in the morning. During the day they were packed with people and vendors. I passed only a few people on my way to the bus. When I made my last turn off Las Ramblas, João was standing at the corner waiting. Half asleep and half drunk, I squinted my eyes to make sure I wasn't imagining this. He smiled and began walking toward me. Puzzled, I asked him what he was doing here. He said he wanted to see me off. He said he went to my hostel first but I had already checked out so knew he would pass me on my walk. João was incredibly sweet and gave me a new appreciation for friendships on this journey. I couldn't believe that he woke up on only three hours of sleep just to see me off to the States. He walked me to the bus and hugged me goodbye. I sat in the bus on the way to the airport and began to cry. I had truly an unbelievable time in Spain and would remember all the people I met forever.
When I got to the airport, I waited in line to see if I might get bumped to first class for my ten hour flight to New York. A girl was in line waiting as well. I asked what she was waiting for and she had the same agenda, she was hoping to get bumped as well. We both were elite flyers on Continental so talked about how it was quite common for this to happen with us. The flight attendant returned and told us they were booked full in first class.
I went to the gift shop and bought my magnet. I buy one in every city I travel to. I found a snow globe with a Goudi building in the center so bought that for my coffee table. I returned and they were boarding the flight. I reached my seat 9F and it was right next to the girl I had been talking to at the counter. I pointed that the seat next to her was mine and we both laughed.
Lindsay was incredibly sweet and we talked the entire nine hours of our flight. She asked where I lived and I told her California. She told me she was flying home to Ohio. I laughed and told her I was from Ohio. She told me she lived in Cleveland and I told her I lived in Westlake the last four years. This was such a small world, she replied that she lives in Lakewood. Here are two girls, flying from Barcelona, and grew up in cities right next to each other.
Lindsay asked what I was doing in Barcelona and I told her about my life changing trip. She was very inspired and I pushed her to do a trip of her own as well. She was in Barcelona shooting a commercial with the singer Neo. Lindsay is Miss Ohio and does modeling and acting. We talked about her career and I was fascinated how she gets flown around to different places to shoot commercials or TV shows. She was actually in a few shows that I've seen on TV Law & Order and 90210. She asked about my Blog and I told her all about how it was something I did at the last minute and that I was touched when I heard how many people from my life back home were reading and relating to it. I was getting messages from people from college, high school, even people I hadn't spoke to in years were emailing me, inspired reading the Blog. She told me she would love to read it and that she will pass it on to her connections in L.A. She knows a few producers and writers. She said it sounded like a fantastic story and the world needed to know. I sat on the flight for a minute and thought, what if this did turn into something? What if that is why I was supposed to meet her? What if she was supposed to meet me to be inspired to do a trip of her own. I told her about all the things I learned about myself by removing myself from the daily grind and living in hostels. I told her how it changed my life and that she will do the same. We planned out what her trip would entail and I believe she will make this trip.
Throughout the flight we inspired each other, talked about growing up in Cleveland and found that we had so much in common. We ordered champagne and toasted to each other and to meeting in Malibu next year to celebrate everything we accomplished over the next year. In the nine hours we really covered a wide range of topics. We were talking about love, break ups and she told me about how the only person she knew from my hometown, Elyria, was the girl that her ex boyfriend cheated on her with. When she told me the girls name, my mouth dropped. That was the very same girl my ex boyfriend is now engaged to. The world really truly was a small place. We cracked up laughing about this and could not believe how our lives overlapped. She made the comment that our lives were so identical that I was the brunette version of her and she was the blonde of me.
Normally, I dread flights oversees and take sleeping aid. This flight we were both glad we didn't get bumped to first class because we got to meet each other. Lindsay flies out to L.A for projects quite often so we made plans to see each other next week.
I couldn't believe my trip was over but I was still meeting people that continued to move me. Lindsay is someone I know I will keep in touch with and I couldn't believe out of all the seats on the plane that we were placed by each other. We got to the baggage claim to pick up our bags and check them for our domestic flight. The woman who was sitting in a row on the flight turned to me and said that she enjoyed hearing my story on flight. She said it was a beautiful story and she hopes it does turn into a book. I had no idea she had been listening but was flattered with the compliment. She said she'll keep her eyes open for it and asked the name. I told her Five Cities.
Lindsay and I rechecked our luggage and then made our way through security and both got stopped. The guard told me that I could not take the Gaudi snow globe I had picked up at the Barcelona airport in my carry on. They said with liquid in a snow globes, there are no way to measure if it is under three ounces. Crushed, I asked them if I could go back to baggage check and pack it in my bag. They told me if I did this, I would not have to wait in the security line again when I returned. I could skip the line. I turned to Lindsay who was stopped for the same reason. She had given up easily and said they were throwing hers away. I told her to ask the security guard for her globe back and that I would go back through security and pack them for us. I would see her next week in L.A and give it to her in person. Lindsay flagged down the guard and he returned her globe. She thanked me and we had to say our goodbyes. She had a flight to catch and I had three hours to spare. I hugged Lindsay and told wished her good luck.
I went back to security and down to the Baggage Service. They submitted a bag retrieval and told me to wait at carousel nine for my bag to repack it. I pulled out my iPad and began to write more about my trip. A guy sat beside me and asked if I was a writer. I went to answer no, but then thought...well, I do love to write, so yes, I am. I sternly replied yes. He asked what the name of the book was called so I answered Five Cities. I thought, if I wanted this to turn into something, I should start thinking it's going to turn into something.
I waited for two hours and my bag never came. Now I had ten minutes to get to my gate and wondered what I was going to do. I stood back in line at the Baggage Service and the woman replied in a rude tone that I should have never asked for a luggage retrieval because those can sometimes take hours so the bag will come after I've left for my flight. Then my bag will sit at baggage claim in NYC and not be rechecked. She said the process of getting my bag back in San Diego could take days if it is left. How did I travel through Europe for two weeks and have no issues with my bag and now I'm in my own country and they can't seem to keep it together? I told the woman, I would take my chances and wait ten more minutes. After ten minutes, I still had no bag so went back up to a different counter and the woman said it didn't appear that my bag was going to make it but that she would check my carry on so that my globe makes it and that if my bag came while I was on my flight, she would retrieve it and ensure I get it in San Diego. She told me to rush to my flight so that I made it, I only had a few minutes to board. I thanked her for being so incredibly helpful and for caring that my memory of Spain would make it back with me. All this for a snow globe from Barcelona...
I ran back up to security and they let me skip the line, I dashed down to my flight and boarded with only a few minutes to spare. This seems to be the theme, always the last to board right in the nick of time.
I sat on the plane and thought how lucky I was that the woman at the counter helped me. I felt like I had guardian angels around me this entire trip helping me get to where I need to go safely. After traveling for thirteen hours now, I had five and a half more hours to go and I would be home in San Diego.
I looked out the window and began to cry. I have no idea why everyone had been so nice to me, but I had the trip of my dreams. Traveling through the clouds, I replayed all the images in my head from my trip. Stumbling into Eva and Bianca at the tram in Milan, walking into Choony at my first hostel and learning all about the Korean culture, wine with Kate and Shee and how they brought me to tears with their compliment, exploring Naples with Mitch and Darragh, my birthday with the Italians, my beach trip in Italy with the girls, the moving conversation about dreams on the train with Luciana, my night in Rome with Shawn, Vivian's beautiful song by Adele in the hallway, cooking paella with Darko and Bahareh, the walking tour with Rebecca, biking through Barcelona with Mark and Marcell, dancing the night away with Nora, João and Ann Marie and now a conversation of a lifetime with a girl from Cleveland.
I had to ask myself, was it coincidence to meet all of these people or was it fate? Was each person put in place to help me take a piece of their life back with me? I sat and stared out that flight window crying and did not care who saw me on the flight. I remember going into this trip, curious what it would feel like flying back to California. I wondered if I would be forever changed but I sat here and could not comprehend the events that led me to the overwhelming happiness I felt in my heart, my body and my mind. Europe provided me with a new perspective. Backpacking on my own helped me conquer fears I didn't even know I had. It gave me a new sense of who I am. I had no idea how easily I could adapt to any situation, any person, any culture.
I wondered if someone else planned a backpacking trip through Europe if they would have the same experience as me. I don't think any one's trip to Europe can be duplicated. A trip to Europe is like your own fingerprint, original and unique. Every person I met on my trip, will be different than who you will meet. The people you will meet will have a new story, a new lesson and a new perspective to share if you allow them.
I closed my eyes on the flight and was truly thankful that I had completed my trip, made it home safely and hopefully inspired a few people along the way.
- comments
OC Royalty Amazing.... And there is no such thing as a coincidence. So, no it's not a coincidence, or by chance you met these people. It's pretty incredible to see how this was all orchestrated. Absolutely beautiful. I won't post everything I'm thinking.... But I'll tell you soon
Bonnie Incredibly insightful. When I read "The End, CA" I got pretty choked up. It reminded me of how I felt years ago. I had gone to Venice,Rome,Assisi,London,Paris,Monaco,Evion(bottled water), Portugal,Greece and my favorites: Gilbraltor,Capri, Barcelona and Madrid. I immediately came to the conclusion that once you travel you are never the same (person) ever. I never shared this with any of my family. You have absolutely arrived at the truth all on your own!
Fallon Beautiful Julie!
André What a great blog ! I had a tear in my eye reading the "the end" like you feel when a good movie is over.... big hugs from your French cousin ! André