oh, to dream..

.. SEVEN ..

Driving into the airport car park, I realise once again how much my car sticks out amongst all the other cars here, I really should do something about that! I make sure i have everything packed into my hand luggage and flip the visor down to check my appearance once more, making sure I haven't smudged anything on the way here. "Here we go- my first international Grand Prix-i wish you were here though" I say, stroking the picture of me and dad. I glance at the time on my phones lock screen, reading it's only ten past seven in the morning, I get out of the car and get my big McLaren issued luggage out of the boot, I'm here early but I can't wait any longer. I double check the email with my itinerary and flight details on, and head off to the right terminal, stopping to grab a quick coffee on my way- needing all the caffeine I can get this early in the morning, though I'm much too nervous to think about breakfast! I check in and get myself through security where i see a few mclaren staff (identifiable by their hand luggage) in the duty free area, reassuring me I'm definitely in the right place at the right time. I grab myself yet another coffee (skipping straight to a double espresso) and notice the gate number has appeared on one of those big screens. I decide to shop around a little so I don't get there too early and decide to buy some perfume after remembering I forgot to pack mine.

Once I'm at the gate there is a fairly sizeable crowd gathered and i still don't know a lot of the people here so I hang back and busy myself on my phone so I don't look super awkward. I decide to drop Em a text and pray she replies .

Liv 🙊
-waiting at my gate for the flight and yes,
don't worry I am stood here like an
awkward lemon. I'll call you later! Have a
Fun time without me, miss you 😘😘

Em 👯‍♀️
- glad to hear you made it there okay! Have a
safe flight and call me when you get a sec,
but don't worry if not! I'm seeing J later so I'm
sure i will have lots of fun 😏 love ya's 💋

I realise I'm smiling at my phone like an idiot now and decide to put my phone away and try to find some people I might know from my days at the MTC. The noise level has slowly been creeping up and I can't believe how many people are here now, or walking towards us, which is where I spot Harry, Charlotte and Lucinda in a huddle with a few others from the team
"Liv! Good morning! You ready?" Charlotte says, dragging me towards the group
"I hope so, it's too late now" I say with a laugh
"Too right! You are gonna have the best time but be prepared for your feet to hurt and your cheeks to hurt from smiling so much!" Lucinda says with a smile
"I will bare that in mind! Any top tips i should know?"
"Have fun! Although it's work, it's so much easier when you are having fun! Oh and don't be late, punctuality is EVERYTHING!"
"Okay then, I hate being late myself so I can't see that being a problem- hopefully not anyw-"
I get interrupted by the tannoy system announcing that our flight was about to board and everyone starts making a queue to get their boarding passes scanned and make their way onto the aircraft.

I find my seat on the plane and am sorting out the stuff I need for take-off such as my headphones and some gum and take them and put them in my seat and am about to put my bag into the overhead locker when it falls back and almost lands on me, but a pair of hands stop it from landing on me. The person pushes my bag back into the locker with minimal effort "Thanks, I can really do without being squished before my first Grand Prix!" I say before looking up to them and noticing it was none other than Daniel Ricciardo who saved me from a head injury. "No worries little one, I'm Daniel by the way!" He says, holding out his hand for me to shake.
"Errr, Liv, I'm Liv. Thanks though" I say stumbling over my words before shaking his hand.
"Good luck by the way- your first GP" he says smiling, then moving past me and towards the back of the plane where I assume his seat is. I take my things off my seat and count to 10 in my head as i try and calm my nerves and process that I had met Danny Ric in person and yet i acted like a blithering idiot. I make sure I put my phone on airplane mode and connect my headphones to block out all the sounds that are my nerves jitter on the plane.