As I reached to grab my bag out the back of the taxi I was excited and worried, which entrance do I go to? Gate number? MISSING THE FLIGHT? All of these things rushed into my head, as I entered Heathrow Terminal 3 I was overwhelmed by the amount of people. Everyone looking for their check-in points, they were the dreaded desks where people wait for unholy amounts of time just to put their bags on the plane. I on the other hand was focused and saw the Etihad check-in, luckily the queue at this particular airline was non-existent. I zipped to the front and I arrived at a desk, they asked me the usual questions “Did you personally pack your bag, Sir?”, “Do you have any sharp items in your hand luggage?” I dutifully answered truthfully and clearly, always worrying that they might whisk me away to a horrid room if they thought I was lying. I then went over to a mass of escalators and made my way to passport control, I went straight through and a wave of relief came over me. I was air-side, the serenity and peace of people roaming around dipping in and out of shops and eating at overpriced sandwich bars. I found it amazing that so many people would eat at these places because it was a fiver for a BLT.
I then started to get bored and I like everyone else I decided to go to the shops, I looked for one that looked interesting, ah Curry’s Digital as I wondered over to the gadget shop, I checked the Electronic screen and once again there was no gate number next to Abu Dhabi. Eventually the number went up on the board, after a long wait I didn’t feel like a long walk but luck wasn’t on my side and I had to walk for twenty minutes to get to gate 42. Before I started my trek I had a look inside W H Smith for a magazine but there was nothing. I then started to walk to the gate, but as I passed through the arch a crowd of hefty people blocked my way, as when I got through the mass of people I had a quick burst of energy I then slowed down and decided to hop onto a travalator. As I counted the different nationalities in the airport, I was approaching gate 42.
I was sitting down waiting to board and the called for all business and first passengers to board the plane, I was not one of these privileged people and I had to wait, I waited for a few more minutes, then the speaker blurted out “could all passengers sitting in rows 15-20 board the plane now” I was one of them, I had qualified, seat 17A as I queued to board the plane I was now very excited about the prospect of going home and seeing my family. As I showed my ticket to the air hostess, she pointed to and said “go straight down the plane” I thought to myself that this was a very silly thing to say because that I the only way you can go STRAIGHT.
The flight was effortless and as the plane started it’s decent I was growing more and more anxious. What had they done? How were they? And what did my apartment look like? I went through passport control at the other end; I then picked my bag of the baggage conveyor belt and headed for the door. As it opened I saw my family waving at me and I was overjoyed.