The Final Journey

I could have slept later but decided to get up at 8.30.  After getting ready for the day I facetimed my friend Emma then quickly chatted to Tony. I said goodbye to Derek and then realised as I was driving away that I had not taken any photos of the Airbnb or my wonderful hosts but I was only there for a brief time and was too busy focusing on going home.

I drove the car back to the hire centre via a petrol station, which got me a bit flustered because at the pumps I got confused as to how to operate it using a card.  A member of staff had to help me and thought I was a bit of an idiot not knowing what to do.  A member of hire company quickly greeted me and dropped me off at the airport. Thankfully before he left, he spotted a large bag that I forgot as I was leaving.

I meet a lovely couple who were queing from West kirby who helped me through customs.  I went to fill up my water bottle but the tap was tricky to use. I ordered some food and treated myself to my last charm for aikora and some charm stoppers.

When I boarded the plane I found out that the middle row do not have to pay for their seats, they had  booked theirs online  which made me quite upset and unsettled for the rest of the journey.  The airline had also tried to book me in a small seat again and thankfully I was moved to a different seat.  I was so confused about seat charges.
A Meal was served and then they dimmed the lights. I was so upset about the seating that I needed to vent, I tried to explain to the air stewards that I had paid a lot of money for that seat and now people were moving to those seats.  Later a flight attendent tried to point out that a man had paid for the seat but she was highlighting the wrong person and it was getting lost in translation.

I got confused again at Hong Kong Airport, my flight was leaving from gate 1. I had my lounge pass and I thought I knew where the lounge was, I walked up and down. All sweaty I arrived at the lounge expecting a shower but I had misread the leaflet which stated in very small print, that my pass did not include a shower, then when I sat down I was told there was no gluten free options, one passenger offered me his small bag of nuts but I declined, the staff came back and said that at the other lounge they served gluten free food.  The manager wrote an explanation and then sent me to the other lounge. I then had to find the other lounge, which, thankfully was near my boarding gate. I arrived at the lounge but was all sweaty and was nearly in tears and because I was not able to get any gluten free options in the first lounge and was so upset they let me have a shower.

The next flight they still put me in a narrow seat, I protested and was offered 39b which was much better.  As the plane taxied to take off, I noticed rows and rows of Cathay Pacific and Hong Kong aircraft standing on the tarmac.

I watched jojo rabbit, a very emotional film about racism and how the Jews were perceived. I slept in bursts. I then watched a quetin tarrintino film called, ‘once upon a time in Hollywood’ and then I finally watched a film called ‘Judy’, a very sad film about Judy garland and how she was treated by the film company and why she was so full of emotional problems. Again I slept in bursts as the journey was 12 and a half hours long. All the passengers had to fill out a form for the coronvirsus so that the authorities can trace any outbreak from the plane.

When I disembarked at Charles De Gaul Airport, my temperature was taken, a new mask given and a leaflet was handed to me as to what to do about the coronvirsus. I followed the signs for transfers, hoping that there would be an information desk so I could ask for help about a boarding pass but there was none. I found myself at customs and a security man asking for my pass, he accepted my email about my next flight and sent me through. There was still no information desk and I took the wrong turning and ended up in an extremely empty terminal, I walked up and down the desolate building trying to find any help. I ended up
Asking for assistance at a British Airways desk as I was having a major anxiety attack. Thankfully they took pity on me as I showed them my autism card. They rang for some help which came in the form of a lovely lady who kindly assisted me and assured me where to go. She took me to where I had to catch a bus to get to the right section and wrote down what I needed to do. I headed in the right direction and went to a bustling terminal and found the correct gate that I needed. To cheer myself I went looking around the shops and decided to treat myself to some perfume, the assistant who was a bit abrupt at first said that I needed a boarding card, she told me where to go to get one. A lovely lady helped me out on a desk that was labelled for air France and klm. She sorted my pass out and also informed me what time the plane would be boarding. I bought the perfume then got some cash out and purchased some macaroons. There was a little cafe near my boarding gate so I went there to get some food. A young lady helped me with my French and praised me for the phrases I did knew.

The last flight was thankfully quick and I arrived at Manchester Airport to very grey and moody skies filled with a cold blast and downpours of rain. I had to go upstairs and wait in departure hall as the wind blew through arrival hall. My lovely sister came to pick me up and I went home.

I hope you enjoyed my adventures and let me know what you thought