Imagine early in the morning. You arrive at the airport, safe and well. A bit tired of course, but that’s not more than you expect from someone who wakes up to party music in to morning. You go through the thick glass security doors into the airport. The backpack lies heavy on your shoulders although the anticipation before the journey makes it almost weightless.
You are almost three hours early, so you can relax. Read a book, think about life, why a ball is round or perhaps watch people. Try to imagine where they all are going and why? What kind of people are they? Do they feel fulfilled? Are there life the way they want it? You have all the time in the world to dream away, since you are sitting in front of the check-in desk.
When they finally open the check-in desk you don’t rush forward. You are so calm and try to take in every moment, all that is happening, have happened. Realizing what goals you have finished and all the obstacles like thorn bushes, you have fought your way through. How all of them have torn you in some places. Some of them are still sore, some of them might disturb your sleep at occasions and some… Some you don’t even feel anymore. They are you. They don’t affect you. So in front of this check-in desk, you wait. Don’t want to rush.
But the world comes crashing back when you are standing there. Getting your sentence you weren’t even aware of. You are told that your precious Visa is not valid. Although you have your ticket to New Zealand for the so-called Visa-run and then your ticket back to Australia, you are not allowed to enter New Zealand. You can feel your heart, though uncertain if it beats faster or if it have just stopped. The reason why you can’t enter NZ is because you don’t have a valid Visa for the return ticket. There is only one solution.
You have to book a ticket from Auckland in New Zealand to somewhere in Europe. Your heart have unbelievably at this point now woke up and you feel the sweat while you run around the airport in search for a travel agency from which you got to have a valid fully-refundable ticket to Europe in the nearest 45 minutes. After several instructions you find the travel agency. Which does not open in another hour.
After some more running you find the Qantas Flight desk. Everyone in the line is just so slow. In fact, you are asking yourself whether they are alive, stupid or just are trying to mess with you since the check-in ends in 30 minutes. After several sweaty moments you are next in line. 20 minutes left. Lucky for you, in this moment you get the nicest person in the whole wide world. She is so helpful and time-efficient. She says however that this is gonna be expensive. Very expensive. Though you get the whole amount back except for an administration fee. You throw your VISA-card at her along with your passport and say ‘I’ll take it.’
The marathon back to the check-in is a fast one. Five minutes left. You’ll make it!
But you are not alone in the queue. Lots of other people are late and a few others also had problems with their Visas. It’s less than 50 minutes before departure when you get to the desk. You are supposed to be checked-in 90 minutes before departure. It’s the same girl as before and she is just so slow. Chit-chatting in a normal manor and really takes her time.
40 minutes left and you have the security to pass along with several others. Soon they will begin boarding.
It’s a miracle. You arrived at the gate just when they begin boarding the plane and you are thinking ‘This is just going way to smooth, is this really the flight to Auckland?’ Then you understand that you don’t really care. It’s just another adventure.
We’re gonna travel the North Island for eight days, spend one day in Auckland and then go back to Australia. As long as they approve of my application… Honestly, how could they say no to cute little me? (Imagine that annoying little thing in the movie Madagascar which is so hyped and crazed, probably also high on both cocaine and coffein!)