Recollections on my first ever overseas travel in early 2024

Dear reader,

Warts and all!!

I jumped into the deep-end.  Never having travelled overseas, I decided it was now or never to start travelling regardless of my physical condition and mindset.  I am no spring chicken anymore, I am in my early sixties, with joint issues, migraines, sore shoulders and the piece de' resistance, lung fibrosis. 

I decided on a tour travelling from Australia on UAE flight to Spain and Morocco for nearly a month.  The plan was to hop on the plane a few days earlier than the official start date to restore myself from any jet fatigue resulting from a 13 hour flight. 

But as luck would have it, I missed my flight due to the wrong scheduling in a planned animal resort for my two cats while I was away.  This messed me up no end convinced I needed hospitalising but thankfully my friend helped me organise new cat-sitting people  and guided me to re-manoeuvre through the rebooking process for the next available flight.

By the time I arrived at the international departure airport, I was already overwhelmed and rattled from the day before with my cats. and missing the initial flight.  Then I was rattled all over again navigating where to go and when to be at certain departure points, triple checking my passport, visas, currency, luggage check in, Id...and more.  I then had 6 hours to fill before actual embarkation.  Exhausted already with sore shoulders and a headache I popped my medication and then sat down at a large cafe somewhere in Sydney International Airport.

I don't know if you've ever watched Alien the second sequel.  There is a favourite  scene half way through the movie where Sigourney Weaver is in the elevator, sweaty, determined, wiping her face with her arm, resetting herself mentally and physically with certain apparatus in readiness for the next upheaval.  That's what I felt like exactly sitting in my airport cafe, except that I had a little more time....more next week.