What I missed about travelling

Friday, 17th of September, 2021

I’m at Larnaca airport, about to fly to Brussels.

I haven’t been to Departures for about 14 months. That’s the longest I’ve haven’t stepped foot on a plane and it felt strange.

Anxious but excited, like a little kid at Christmas, waiting for Santa.

It wasn’t exactly a holiday, I was flying to Belgium to help my little sister settle before her masters studies, but for the first time ever since I moved back to Cyprus I was finally about to get away from the daily life here. I looked forward to it for a long, long time.

It was an exhausting week, but it reminded me of what I missed about travelling.

• Wandering at the airport

That feeling of excitement, waiting impatiently to board on the plane but also taking in the surroundings, people watching, some reuniting, others saying goodbye, some travelling alone, others with family or friends, everyone with a unique story that led them there.

• Flying

Your heart beating fast, waiting for the plane to take off, watching a film on board, overhearing various conversations and finally the anticipation, landing and waiting eagerly to get out of the plane and have a first look at the place you are about to spend your time at.

• Discovering beautiful places at random

There’s nothing more exuberant than coming agross a beautiful corner or a gorgeous alley, whilst wandering in a new city.

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• The local cuisine

You don’t need to be a food enthousiast like I am to appreciate a foreign country’s delicacies and local dishes.

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• Sightseeing

Famous landmarks, breathtaking churches, impressive architecture. There’s always a lot to explore at a place and the feeling never wears off.

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Of course I didn’t miss airport queues, which are inevitable in the current situation with all the passport and vaccination certiicate checks, travelling during a pandemic, but I genuinely can’t wait to go abroad againm and again, and again. I don’t think I’ll ever get bored of it.

I still wish I could travel whilst I work. Maybe one day. Who knows.

What do/did you miss about travelling, if anything?

Eleni