120 Days in Poland: Part 1
It was finally D-day, Friday the seventh. The day I embarked on a new adventure ended yet another. On this special day, I felt ambivalent and unsure of what lies ahead. Despite this, it was a great cause for excitement and celebration. Now, it was patently clear that all road leads to Poland — the land of Fields.
At some point, I felt it quite tasking to contain my excitement and at other times, I will look back to all that I value and will be leaving behind, my Family and friends, It was a bitter pill to swallow. However, I derived solace from the knowledge of their unbridled love, support and encouragement as they were all happy for the next adventure I’m set to embark upon.
The Take Off
Tick tock, tick tock, the clock rang as time faded away like a mirage. It was about time to board the flight. There were lots of drama in the final moments at the airport. I could remember vividly the drama that unfolded at the boarding pass — the point at which there’s no going back for passengers, however, I pleaded to be spared five minutes with the excuse that I’ve got unfinished business I urgently needed to attend to.
After much persuasion, my request was acquiesced to and I immediately flee the place towards my family waiting outside with the intention of not leaving until they see the plane take off… lol! I had excused myself to go say a proper goodbye and in turn got myself some warm hugs and prayers coincidentally, my sister who had left work abruptly to come to say goodbye was fortunate to have also seen me again in the llth hour. I’m glad I showed up. At this moment, I had barely got a minute to catch up, I had to hurriedly run back in with the speed of light.
Feeling very satisfied, I proceeded to board the plane alongside my friends and in about ten minutes, we heard two quick, loud thumps from beneath the plane and a repeated whooshing noise that signalled that the plane had taken off. Boom, off we go!
The Qatar Way
As the plane hummed in space, I was busy having a fun time with my co-adventurers. We had lots of funny and interesting moments together and at intervals were treated to some nice delicacies by the excellent hostesses of Qatar Airways. We arrived in Doha in the early hours of the morning and it is surprisingly very hot as early as 7 am. At Doha, we had a stopover and proceeded to board the next flight that was destined for Warsaw, Poland.
Interestingly, I got a window seat for this flight and it gave me the rare opportunity to satisfy my cravings — being able to admire the work of nature and beautiful landscapes. It is noteworthy to mention the observed distinctions in the variable landscapes that existed between Doha and Poland — clearly two different climate zones. The landscapes ranged from large, flat plains to rough plains, to large water bodies and also the typical pine forests of temperate Poland.
During the journey, I found subtle interest in the movement of the plane as it elevates and descends in response to location and weather. Sometimes, the plane tilts left and right to keep balance in response to the wind and also interesting is the visible opening and closing of the spoilers on the plane’s wing.
The landing…(you can watch here)!
Shortly, we heard the Pilot’s announcement to get prepared as we are set to land at the Chopin International Airport, in Warsaw Poland. We already had an entourage of Scholars eagerly awaiting our arrival. The autumn leaves in their vibrant Anthocyanin-induced colours and super cold weather were enough confirmation that indeed a new adventure had begun!
to be continued…
to be continued…
Stay tuned!!!
