Saturday, January 24, 2009

The Day When I First Traveled Alone by Clara




It was the end of June and I was still exhausted because of the tests I had done that week. My alarm clock went off at 5 in the morning; I got up immediately and put on the clothes I had chosen the day before. My mom was already awake, and my breakfast was on the table. I ate a little and started to think if I had forgotten something. Minutes later, my family and I got in the car and headed to the airport. It was still dark and that made me even more nervous. It was the first time we went to the airport with only one suitcase – I mean, there were two, but they were both mine. I was going to travel with some friends and no adults for one month, for the first time. That seems to be the best part, but it gets scary when you think of all the responsibility you have. Anyway, there was no turning back. My parents couldn’t stop reminding me of what I had to do and repeating the hundreds of advice I had been listening to for weeks.

When I got to the airport and saw my friends, I felt more confident and less nervous, because I knew that I wasn’t alone. All my friends were very excited, but I was still a little bit nervous. Some of them said my suitcase was too big, and I was going to have problems during the trip. I got really upset and regretted having taken that suitcase. Even so, I was extremely happy. That was like a dream coming true for me. I had always wanted to go to Europe, to see the Eiffel Tower and the Big Ben. I wanted to see everything, to visit every place and enjoy as much as I could. I knew, however, that I was going to stay away from my family, my friends and my boyfriend for one month. Also, I had no idea what problems I could come up against when I got there – after all, I would stay with an English host family, I would take an English course and know how life in London is. But I was prepared for that.

One hour later I was standing on a line waiting to board the plane. I got really nervous when I said goodbye to everyone. If I hadn’t prepared myself for that, I would certainly have cried! I finally boarded the plane, which was really big and comfortable, I found my seat and it took off. It took about nine and a half hours until we got to Portugal, and that was the longest flight of my life. Although the plane was really nice, I just couldn’t sleep, so I watched four movies. From there, we caught a flight to Paris. I sat next to an old lady who told me lots of things about life, and that was very memorable! I can’t describe my emotion when I saw Paris from the plane. At that moment, I knew that traveling alone was worth it.

On the day I came back to Brazil, I was really happy. I had missed the people, the weather, the food and even my bed! It was an unforgettable experience, though. I spent a week in Paris, the most amazing city ever. Then I went to London and, to be honest, I didn’t like the house I stayed in, but that was the only bad point. I had lots of fun in the city and in the school, where I met people from all over the world. I got to go to other cities such as Oxford and Bournemouth, and I also had the opportunity to spend a weekend in Scotland and see breathtaking landscapes. In conclusion, this experience made me more responsible and confident, I improved my English and learned a lot about other cultures.

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