My Biggest Fear

My biggest fear about this trip was being alone in the airport and not being able to figure out where to go. I wasn’t sure what to expect in terms of the language barriers or signage being in only 1 language. For some reason, it terrified me. So getting to China was fairly easy but somehow, on my way to Cambodia, I messed up and my biggest fear became a reality!

So, our planes had just landed in Guangzhou, China to pick up some other passengers, let some off, and then continue onto Phnom Penh, Cambodia, however, instead of letting the passengers who are continuing onto Phnom Penh stay on the plane, everyone must exit. So, after realizing I was the last on the plane before the flight attendants kicked me off, I quickly gathered my belongings and made my way off the plane. I followed the people in front of me, since I didn’t really know what else to do but still didn’t quite understand what the heck was going on. The flight attendants spoke poor English I couldn’t understand and “Everyone else was doing it”, so I jumped on this shuttle bus and when it stopped, jumped off and followed the passengers into this building…. Okay, I am definitely in the wrong spot. I followed the passengers whose final destination was Guangzhou and found myself in the baggage claim and immigration area. Oops. So, at this point, I am in a random city in China where no one speaks English, and I am supposed to figure out how the heck to get back to my plane that will probably be leaving at anytime now. OMG! So, I get mild anxiety just thinking about it. and make my way to the nearest help desk, speak with 4 people before I find someone who can finally speak English, then get pointed to another help desk, walk over there, more freaking out, the second person at this counter can speak English and can understand that I messed up. Embarassed but relieved, this airport security dude comes to get me and escorts me through all of the checkpoints I could have avoided had I gone the right way the first time. I go through customs, through carry on check, through this and through that while this security guy is laughing at me for sure. I am sure this happens ALL the Time by people like me…. Or so I am letting myself believe so I don’t feel so darn stupid! I arrive to the gate just in time to re-board the flight. Phew. I made it. Barely. And everything is okay. And now I can laugh at this wonderful memory I just added to my life.