If you know me well, at one point or another you have most likely worried about me. Maybe you’ve noticed I trip often, or run into things. Maybe it’s the fact that I forget very important information on the spot. It could also be the awkward and unexpected circumstances I end up with; not to mention the strange and sometimes creepy people I encounter almost daily. I believe that most of the time, Jehovah protects me because I really don’t even have an explanation. All I know is that when my mind is occupied with something, everything happening outside is on autopilot. Paying attention to what is constantly in front of me and searching for details has always been a struggle. While I have gotten better with it if it relates to theocratic assignments or anything secular, other avenues are affected. Mix that in with travel and, what do you know? Now I have more stories to tell for your benefit. It’s a win-win really.
I have had the unforgettable experience and honor to be selected for the Berlin international convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses! Flying from California is quite a long way which is why with a lot of prayer, saving up and carefully (or my attempts at) planning, my friend Vanessa (shout out to my travel buddy Vanessa!… probably one of the few people who regularly read my blog anyway hehehe…) and I made a two month European trip through 8 countries.
Stockholm, Sweden was first. We stayed there with incredible friends. Next, we took a train to Copenhagen, Denmark. So far so good. No casualties…. yet.
The first casualty came for our flight from Copenhagen to Berlin. Let the rant commence *clears throat*:
First of all, we booked with a little company called EasyJet. “*mockingly* “Mee mee mee”. They weren’t exactly clear with their baggage allowance. We arrive and the worker is telling us that we needed to fit everything into our large bags, even the personal item! Ugh!
So there we are, covered in sweat (since it was unexpectedly hot that day), sumo wrestling with our bags trying to make it all fit. What was the result? Too big. We had to pay about $50 each. EasyJet? Easy?! I think they’re named after the very thing they are NOT. Call yourselves DifficultJet!! Aauuggh!
*clears throat and fixes hair*.
We finally arrive to Berlin. We were supposed to arrive at 10pm. Oh, we arrived there alright, but Berlin was not happy. It was thunderstorms and heavy rains! So what do they announce? We have to stay on the plane until it’s safe for us. Okay, nothing we can do about that since it is for safety reasons. Finally, they let us off and it took about another hour to get our luggage. It was close to midnight by this point and I wanted to cry… but didn’t.
In my experience, every trip hits a low before hitting an ultimate high. I didn’t want to give into the tears or frustrations yet because just outside those airport doors, we would find the brothers and sisters and we will feel that catapult in emotions.
Imagine my joy when we found the brothers right outside of the airport doors! Also, I forgot to mention I had a terrible headache. All of that went away once a small crowd of delegates also arrived. It was like finding an oasis in the middle of a dessert. That storm was the craziest rainstorm I had ever experienced in my life, but boy was I glad to be there and ready for one of the best weeks of my life!
In a way, that sour flight experience highlighted the intense joy we felt upon finding the brothers and sisters and the start of one of the best weeks ever! My goodness, how great that week went!
Releasing Ropes 