I was in transit on Thursday for a total of approximately 18 hours. Here was my itinerary:
- 8:30 a.m. : leave Utrecht apartment for Utrecht Centraal
- 9:13-9:45 a.m. : train ride from Utrecht Centraal to Schipoll Airport (Amsterdam)
- 12:45-10 p.m: plane ride from Amsterdam to Detroit (arrived at 4 p.m. EST)
- 5:55-7:45 p.m EST: plane ride from Detroit to Montreal
- 9 p.m : arrival at 1640 Socrate, Brossard.
A certain level of stress is involved when one travels alone. It’s normal to feel a little apprehensive (I think) when having to catch flight after flight, or train after train, while dealing with uncontrollable delays or mishaps. Still, since my travels began in August, I have developed a sense of fear when traveling by plane.
On take-off, every sound sends me jumping. The wings adjusting, the wheels squealing on the damp asphalt and then retracting back into the plane’s underbelly and don’t even mention turbulence. I realize that the chances of getting into a car accident are much greater than crashing in a plane, but I can’t help it. The sense of impending doom that comes with a plane falling out of the sky is unbearable, especially when I’m alone up there. I know it’s semi-ridiculous, but I can’t help it.
