As someone who travels frequently, I am aware that some unforeseen events are bound to occur. However, in the year since I became a nomad, I had not experienced any significant incidents until my recent trip leaving Europe, headed back to the United States. Unfortunately, this one journey seemed to encompass all the potential mishaps that could have occurred.
So, let's start from the beginning...
I started my trip early in the morning, 4 AM on August 6th. Being that it was so early in the morning, I wasn't sure what to expect. To my surprise, my taxi driver arrived early, providing me with ample time to get through security, grab a coffee, and relax before my 620 AM flight.
My itinerary included several flight changes, Budapest to Munich, to Berlin, to Washington, to Savannah, and then a nice drive to Jacksonville, or so I hoped. And to just put it into perspective, flight changes mean more times your bag exchanges hands and flights and that's never a good thing. You might ask why I chose a flight with so many exchanges; well, unfortunately, it was the only flight available under $1000. All other flights were $1500 or more and that was one way.
So back to my story...
Budapest airport was a breeze. Everything went smoothly. I even met a guy. As I stood in line waiting to board, my eye caught a very tall, awkwardly dressed man eyeing me. Once he noticed me, noticing him, he made his move. He approached me (brownie points) and after a few pleasantries, we exchanged numbers. He was headed to Michigan, and I was headed to Georgia, however, we managed to get in a few texts before my flight took off.
Munich Airport was uneventful. I had a short layover and was off to Berlin in no time.
Berlin Airport may not have the best reputation, but it proved to be quite memorable for me. Arriving with only minutes to spare before my flight to Washington was to take off, and feeling lost, I approached a security guard at the Passport Control desk for assistance. He went above and beyond to help me, swiftly processing my passport and guiding me through the staff entrance, bypassing security, all the way to my gate. Without his help, I would have undoubtedly missed my flight.
It's worth mentioning that I exceeded my passport visa by approximately a week. If I had gone through proper passport control procedures, there was a possibility of facing penalties for the overstay. Such penalties can range from a 6-month ban to a 5-year ban.
I made it to my seat, where I sat next to another very tall guy, this time from Germany. He was well dressed in his fitted skinny jeans and relaxed t-shirt, and resembling Andrew Tate. Despite being assigned seats in the back of the plane, we were fortunately moved together to Premium Plus. We had deep conversations for over nine hours. We shared stories about our lives, children, aspirations, politics, religion, and everything in between. We discussed books, movies, and relationship goals. We even shared photos of our children and grandchildren. We would later joke that our nine-hour flight was more like a nine-hour date. I felt surprisingly at ease with the stranger. We exchanged numbers before parting ways.
Once I landed in Washington, I was disappointed to learn that my bags had not made it onto my flight from Munich to Washington.
My travel experience turned into a nightmare when my flight from Washington to Savannah was delayed multiple times. The delays caused a chain reaction of incidents, which resulted in me losing my luggage and missing my pre-booked rental car. As a result, I had to spend a night in a hotel with only the clothes on my back, which I ended up having to wash by hand and lay over the air conditioner to dry. I ended up having to take an Uber from Savannah, Georgia to my final destination in Jacksonville, Florida. This is not what I expected my return to the US would be like.
Staying in touch with my Airbnb (Superhost) host proved to not matter, my unit was not cleaned upon arrival. I had to endure two hours outside in the scorching Florida heat, waiting for it to be tidied up after the previous guest had just checked out.
Filing claims for my delayed baggage and compensation consumed most of my time over the next four days. Despite my daily efforts, patience, multiple calls, and long hold times with United's customer service agents, it took four days for my luggage to reach me. I had a terrible experience with United Airlines; their customer service is the worst.
As if I wasn't going through enough already, I received an email from the Portuguese Embassy, denying my Visa Application. Although it was a setback, I decided not to file an appeal as my travels have shown me that Portugal is not the place where I would like to live. Despite this, it was disappointing to learn that the time and effort I put into applying for the visa went to waste.
My journey back to the US was far from ideal. The lost luggage, flight delays, rental car issues, and a night in a hotel without proper amenities left me feeling frustrated and annoyed. Again, I understand that unforeseen circumstances can occur, but the lack of support and guidance from the airline made things worse.
In spite of facing numerous challenges and setbacks, I am grateful for the valuable lessons I have learned about myself during my moments of solitude. For instance, I have discovered that I am highly resilient and resourceful. I have also learned that I prefer to tackle my problems privately, which allows me to develop my character and confidence. Most importantly, I have learned that a warm embrace can go a long way in lifting my spirits.
So what's next for me, well, you'll have to stay tuned to find out...
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