My First Trip Accross the Atlantic ( Tripoli to New York )

On August the 26 - 2009 exactly at 3:00am I picked up my passport, ticket and my back bag and headed to the front door where my brother ANNAS was waiting for me. On my way out I checked on my two little brothers Mohamed and Ali who were deeply sleeping and probably dreaming of their favorite cartoon character “Spiderman”. I leaned to kiss them, a kiss that would last one year of time. Then walked out of their room passing by all the other rooms in the house trying to take snap shots of the house I lived my whole life in, a house I shared happy memories with my family, a house that I will leave for quite long period of time. I looked at the dining table where we used to have our warm breakfast: cappuccino and a soft Croissant with hot chocolate filling that mom used to make.”Ahhh” just mentioning it makes my dribble run down my chain. I turned my head and saw the twenty four inch television that managed to gather the family in many occasions especially in RAMADAN nights. “Tick tock tick tock” I could hear my steps in the staircase while going down, there was my family waiting. I hugged dad sayin goodbye then my little sister saying goodbye, but when I turned to hug mom an overwhelming feeling of sadness controlled me and tears came out, then we hugged for about two minutes.

“Wake me up before you go go, don’t leave me hanging on like a yo-yo, Wake me up before you go go , Cause I'm not planning' on going solo”

Those were the lyrics of the song “Anas” was listening to once we took off to the airport, I looked out of the window and kept looking and looking still trying to take snap shots, I looked at every house in the neighborhood at every playground and at the dark pole that doesn’t work because I kicked it once with a soccer ball.

“BANG” that was me closing the car’s door hardly, it took us twenty minutes to get to the airport, ANNAS grabbed one suitcase and I grabbed the other and went inside. I looked up to the monitors to find that the check in for the trip to Rome is not open yet, then looked down to see almost thirty people coming towards me, FRIENDS!! friends from college friends from high school and old friends from my home town, all came to say goodbye. And how good it feels to know that so many people care about you. I looked up again to see that the check in to my flight is open; I hugged everyone because this is the custom there, and then headed to the line and from now on, am on my own.

     I stood in line, in front of me a forty year old Italian man and behind me a French guy, I could tell from his English accent when he asked me if it’s the right flight to Rome or not. Finally it’s my turn to check in. “Where are you going?” the guy asks, “Atlanta through Rome” I answered. he took my suitcases, my passport, and the ticket and did his job then gave me back the boarding pass, passport and the ticket again so I can go through few customs procedures. After I headed to the waiting lounge, chose a spot, and fell asleep. “They’re calling for the flight, they’re calling for the flight” a familiar voice woke me up, it was the voice of the French guy trying to wake me up. I grabbed my back bag and got into the plane, looked for my seat and once again I fell asleep but this time the flight attendant is the who woke me up, I looked out of the tiny window of the plane to see Rome but…. I didn’t, the airport was far from the city center.

Once I stepped into Fiumicino airport in Rome, A strange thought popped into my head: I lost my suitcases. I looked at the screens to see what terminal I should take to go to Atlanta it was G27, after a dozen of security procedures I made it to Gate27, I lined to check in for the flight to Atlanta and when it was my turn I asked the lady “should I pick my suitcases or they should go directly to this flight”, “they should directly but give me the tag number of the suitcases and let’s double check” the lady answered, “here you go” couple of clicks on the keyboard and the not excepting came out. Let’s go back in time Remember! the guy in Tripoli’s airport when he asked where are you going, instead of sending my suitcases to Atlanta he sent them to Rome, this was the worst part of the trip, I asked the lady what’s going to happen with my suitcases now, she answered: don’t worry I will make sure someone picks them up and put them in your flight. ahhhhh “relief”.

Six hours, six hours of flying from Rome to Atlanta, uncomfortable seats, bad food: a dry sauce sticking over an uncooked peace of chicken, and a hard bread that would break your teeth, it was cold ugly and has an offal smell, and even thou I was hungry I did not eat it. but there was  a good company, a ten inch screen that will allow you to watch TV, Movies or listen to Music, which kept me from sleeping, I watched old episodes of Seinfeld, Pursuit of happiness and listened to country music.

From a plane to another with different security procedures and after almost fifteen hours I made it to Albany, I went out and there was John a faculty staff, waiting for me to bring me to campus, we chatted for a bit before going down where am expecting my suitcases to show up, we waited and waited and waited…for nothing. Therefore I had to file a claim from DELTA’s office in Albany’s airport of a lost baggage; we got that done and drove to campus.

We reached the campus at 01:20am exactly; I stepped out of the car and felt the cold breeze of Cobleskill. I couldn’t wait until I get to my room, I was tired sad and hungry. But I slept right away once I got to my room.

“Riiiiinnnngggg” the loud melody of the room’s phone woke me up at 10:30am the twenty seventh of August. “Who is that?” I said, “Delta airlines representative” she replied.