Chapter 2. The continuing saga. Still Thursday 18 June 2009, now 1:44 pm local time, YVR
I have found a bathroom that allows me to bring all my lime green luggage in with me ….. you know how that is for women … . I am frequenting the lovely room and they keep it pretty clean here. I have had a wee bit of lunch, Canadian style “greek”cuisine of salmon and greek salad, diet coke. Who knows when I will get to eat what I can actually read on the menu again!! Travels and eating for gluten free diet is always a challenge even in my own country – can’t imagine in Europe. I am thinking maybe I will find a good weight loss strategy after all … except chocolate is probably just as wonderful no matter where I find it!
People watching is interesting here – people coming and going, here and there, up and down, sit and walk, looking – always looking. I wonder if all people are searching for the same thing in airports? Is it something to grab their interest? Is it a bathroom? Is it a familiar face? Is it the dreaded security section or perhaps more exotic interests like duty – free shopping? I have not yet gone through security and the office for KLM does not even open for another hour. I did ask for clarification at the ever-so-helpful information desk. I like the well placed and highly sought after info desk …. makes travels more friendly and less “I am all alone and lost” kind of feeling.
I wonder the route my airplane will take as it heads to Amsterdam?? Let’s not get too ahead of myself just yet. Remember to stay in the present .. take it all in. A constant reminder in my head. Breathe, don’t forget to breathe. It will be as it will be, the task this trip is to notice.
I am seeing some familiar faces as I sit at this counter looking out into the foyer, I wonder if they are lost or just spending time like me …. round and round we go …together … turning with the earth in preparation for air travel to another place.
Some with matching luggage, holding hands. Some barely acknowledging each others existence, some bubbling over with excitement, some looking a bit bored and lonely. What an intriguing place to share space with humanity.
There is a very large screen just off to my right, up high on the wall with scenes of Canada I presume and the odd add for Olympics to come. Fireplace, food preparation, no sound – just the visual. I wonder who has that job?? to decide what is or might be a pleasure for folks as they walk around in circles? There is that same couple again ….. see how much I can notice when I just watch.
I think I might do the same in a while … stroll around in circles …. <grin> maybe they know something that I don’t …..
It will be late tomorrow night local time in Germany when I land. I wonder how long I will travel. That whole time zone thing is very trippy (pun intended) and kind of interesting. Do we age differently if we change time zones?? how is it with the body to go across the date line? Will I notice? Feel refreshed or feel like I have lost a day sleep? Maybe there is nothing to notice … just to sit with what is and
**** a person just stopped and started talking to me …. about travel and places, german and french, difference and the same. He asked if I was working … that is how it started. I said “no, writing to my home” was what my unexpected voice responded. He is a security person here – from Africa, lives in Tsawwassen.
I guess in a manner of speaking, I am working. I am learning, I am traveling and learning. I am on my familiarization cruise tour compliments of my new part time job. Yes, I am working. Yes I am learning. Yes, this is my life. How unexpectedly sweet my life is …. all parts
Sending these notes to friends and family – keeping them for my own record of my travels for when I am old-er I may want to re-read and re-experience the moments I carefully am saving in my mind.
Like making a movie – to be watched and re-watched. Everyone will have a different version of the story and I will have made it, written it in my own world as it came to me. As I sit and watch. I am the main character but all have a part of importance.
Watching shoes, people, time, faces, energy, direction, expressions, eyes, the screen, the food, the foyer, the stores, the info booth, young people and not-so-young people. It is all here at YVR any time for anyone – make that everyone to enjoy. What a glorious place and a wondrous life
I am busting with gratitude, filled with awe, many questions … many moments to capture.
Thank you thank you – for all that has lead me to this space and this time – for coming with me and for guiding me with your light.
ENTRY 3
It is my third entry and second day of travel, and as yet I am still without more than moments of stolen sleep. I have been most of this day in the Amsterdam airport, following an all night flight from Vancouver…. and waiting for my last flight to Nuremburg.
Last night – the flight was long, the plane was nice and the service was amazing. KLM was the company and although they had no prior knowledge of my food allergies, tried to accommodate as best they could. Wine was free!! Amazing what free wine can do to make the weary traveler feel just a wee bit more cared for! Good for them! And a special decaf coffee with Bailies, complimentary of course!
They gave me yogurt and salad and then some to take with me this morning as well. It was a huge plane and filled every seat. Mostly families traveling, I sat in the middle section, back of the plane, on an aisle (there was no real options, the aisle was my choosing) with almost no leg room. It was challenging. Movies were fun, and somehow in that very very small space I lost my Westjet headset that I had carefully packed for use with the lap top. I guess it was absorbed by the larger European plane …. I now have a two pronged one compliments of KLM however, won;t work on the lap top. It is a mystery to me how the Westjet one got lost …. it is not like I was walking around or anything … sat still for 8 and ½ hours …. maybe it got lost in the time zone change??? over the dateline?? It seemed we just left, headed north over Edmonton, and very cold temperatures outside according to the plane information provided … maybe over Norway?? I had to move my watch time 2 hours back when we arrived …. 10 hours later here ….. and there was almost no darkness last night outside the windows!! Magical night for sure.
And now in Amsterdam, the Netherlands –
I found a comfy lounge chair to sit in all day and read. I watched the weather and planes outside, listened to announcements in foreign accents and generally had peace around me. Not being adventurous on my own, I did not step out and wander much …. just a few moments ago I found a sign that said there is a meditation center here and wireless connection. I have decided to write an entry, and maybe go find a few minutes of meditation in this large spacious airport – before I seek out my next terminal. There are duty free shops everywhere – lots of cities being announced, peoples names called out who are late for their flights …. with notice their bags will be taken off the plane. That would just be nasty!!!
Places include, Milan, Rome, Paris — oh the places people are going!!! Lots of English spoken here – and of course, Dutch. Memories as I wander …. wooden shoes, tulips, gouda cheese … all and more being sold in this airport. Memories from a time long long ago, and not so far away .. Germany and Holland in 1967 with my family. Familiar sites nevertheless. Chocolates, of course are international!! the packaging might be different but the contents I certainly recognize. The duty free shops offer perfumes and make up in familiar names, even crocs (shoes) are sold here in many colors!! I look for a suitable bag to drag home as a new addition to my luggage, but nothing jumps right out at me. Hard to sort out prices as well… I keep trying to recall 1.6 Euro …. so it means doing the math and takes the quick mindless purchases to a minimum (lucky me!!). Perhaps shopping in Europe will be much less painful than I had first predicted!
I see Guerlain products and recall becoming a fan many years ago with my friend Verona …. then I found them at Walt Disneyworld at Epcot center in the France pavilian … and now … in Amsterdam airport in the duty free shops. I love the flood of memories of previous stories.
OOOOOPs, someone who is late for feparture to Prague, and another one for Lisbon … “or we will proceed to off load your baggage” ….. the kind announcers say over the loud speaker for all the folks to hear.
Well, I must go find that meditation space just to say I did it … maybe have a moment there. Then on to find my departure gate …. I would not want them to off load my lime green baggage!! I guess at least then I would know if for sure it is really and truly following me around the world and will be at my final destination when I need it the most.
The end of another page. A time zone of 10 hours ahead of all of you … who says tomorrow never comes!!! it did for me last night ….. <grin> And I am living my tomorrow today!!