Departures

Hi all! I know you've missed me, don't try to hide it. When you had a taste of Heaven, it's hard not to long for it. Today's topic is: interpretating the signs the Universe is sending you.

Do you believe in destiny? In fate? In signs? (this post is NOT sponsored by the Church of Scientology) – if not, I hope it will make you change your mind.

If you remember correctly, I left from Berlin to the South of France, making a small stop in Zürich to visit one of my loverboys, and then from the South of France to Paris – from which I took a plane to Casablanca, then Cape Verde. 

In other terms:

1: Berlin → Zürich (train)

2: Zürich → South of France (train)

3: South of France → Paris (train)

4: Paris → Casablanca (plane)

5: Casablanca → Praia (plane)

I can safely say that every part of this journey from Berlin to Cape Verde (ok, to Casablanca – the 5: Casablanca-Praia plane was ok) went wrong. It went crescendo from bad to really weird. Let's get started:

1: Berlin → Zürich

Nothing reaaally bad, actually, just 2 hours late. Don't call me a drama queen - remember it goes crescendo.

2: Zürich → South of France

I was supposed to take a first train Zürich → Geneva, with a regular ticket that I bought in Zürich and then Geneva → South of France – with a discount ticket that I bought on the French railway website, 10 days in advance. I wanted to send those tickets to my loverboy's address in Zürich, as to avoid a 10€ fee if you use a vending machine in another country to withdraw your ticket. Sending the ticket was free and would last 5 days - I was supposed to receive the tickets on the Thursday (me leaving on the following Monday). Ahah. The Universe had something else in mind – I never received the tickets. So I had to rush out to the French railway agency in Geneva, carrying my what felt like 50 kilo backpacks, and PAY a second time for the ticket they failed to send me (they will eventually reimburse me...). What a joke! Even more if you know how much I hate spending money. However, I didn't even notice (yet!) that the Universe didn't want me to leave.

3: South of France → Paris

The TGV was supposed to take 4h – and to be direct. Ahah. Due to an undetermined problem, the train was 2h late. Wait, did I say train in singular? We had to change twice... TWICE. Have I mentionned my carrying two backpacks of 18 and 9 kilos? At that point, I started wondering if I had taken the right decision... After all, it wasn't too late to cancel everything and go back home...

4: Paris → Casablanca, part 1

The apotheosis. I was just closing my backpacks and was about to go to the airport, when I thought, hey, let's check my emails one last time. Ahah. I had received a message from the Universe, saying there was a problem of outmost importance with my reservation and that I had to contact INSERT NAME OF LOUSY TRAVEL COMPANY at the soonest. It was 16h50, the plane was leaving less than 4 hours later. I called the airline company, who pleasantly announced me that my plane was cancelled and that I had to leave the following day to Casablanca (I could still make it for the transit plane to Praia). How funny. À propos funny, the person at the other end of the line kind of laughed as I mentioned the words “reimbursement”. 

I take the plane relatively often (bad, I know...) and honestly, as far as I can remember, none of the planes I ever took have been cancelled. Some delayed, of course – but never cancelled. What kind of sign is that? How blind do you have to be not to notice that there's something rotten in the air? I started thinking, what kind of horrible things were to happen to me if I made it to Cape Verde – was I living my last moments? Was I to ever set foot in Europe again, was I to ever lay eyes on my family and friends? How would I die, of disease or of murder? Would the end of my life be the slow result of excrutiating pains or as sudden as unexpected?

That time, the Universe managed to make me question my choices. But not just enough. I still needed a last sign.

4: Paris → Casablanca, part 2

The following day, after a night spent at Hotel Cec, I left early enough to be sure that I'd be among the first people to check in, in case the plane was overbooked. Also, to avoid any last minute surprises. Ahah. Well, a last minute surprise it was not – the plane was simply delayed. It had landed late to Paris, therefore the flight to Casablanca was to be delayed – at first, they said only 20 minutes, then slightly more. We boarded as we were one hour off schedule. We boarded... And waited... 

And then, this voice annouced something, insignificant for most of the passengers, that punched me in the face and made me curl up my seat: “the gangway is stuck to the plane, we can't close the door, it might take a while”. The Universe was clearly giving me a last chance to escape my fate – I was granted the option to leave the plane. I could honestly picture myself doing just that: politely request the steward to assist me out of the plane with my belongings.

But I did not. In a silent prayer, I gratefully thanked the Universe for blessing me with a last chance, but declined. I chose to embrace my destiny, whatever it is meant to be; it surely implies pain, suffering, illness, and eventually death – but also surely joy, laughter, fun and eventually happiness.

I am currently in Mindelo, in Cape Verde - it's been 2 weeks since I arrived, and I don't look back.

But for the rest of my life, I will always wonder... What if?...