Bon Voyage
“All my bags are packed
I’m ready to go..”
it was my first time to travel abroad. and my first time to be away from my family for a long time. so i guess that would give me an excuse to be a “bit” paranoid.
i was so paranoid that i left something at home, that i triple-checked everything i’ve packed – after i’ve packed (i literally opened my suitcase again RIGHT AFTER i’ve packed!), before i left our house, and even before i said goodbye to my family. i have this feeling that i forgot something important, like my passport, my e-ticket or my wallet. (Note: I didn’t bring any cellphone since my cellphone wouldn’t work in Japan.)
so how do you cope with this paranoia? there’s nothing wrong with double-checking, even triple-checking everything that you have, especially your passport, ticket and your wallet. but it would be better if you have a belt bag or body bag where you could put all those important stuffs. What I did was, I had this small neck-bag for my passport, my e-ticket and a pen (unless you’ve already prepared this, you’ll need to write on the embarkation card for the immigration). I’ve also prepared the money that I needed to pay for the terminal fee (during that time, it was 500 pesos. I think right now, it’s already 750). All the other important documents were in my laptop bag.
And because of the strict security in airports, I’d suggest that you wear something without any metals. And for the shoes, wear something that could easily be taken off. I was wearing rubber shoes that time and i had to untie and tie my shoes everytime they have this “body check”. And we were checked 3x! (That was already inside the airport and our luggages were already checked in).
The boarding time was a long wait, and I was fortunate enough to be with my officemate, at least I have someone to talk to while waiting. A good book, an mp3 player or even a PSP/DS Lite would really be helpful to pass the time. Or if not, you could always just take a nap (just be sure to ask someone to wake you up or you might miss your flight.)
“And I’m leaving on a jet plane
Don’t know when I’ll be back again
Oh babe, I hate to go..”
And before you board the plane, say a little prayer to keep you safe wherever you’re heading, and a prayer for those people whom you’re leaving behind.
Bon voyage!
