TRITTANY: Finally Noticed

Got It Wrong

BRITTANY

The plane had plummeted to the ground bang on schedule and the butterflies in my stomach had woken up the moment that the wheels scratched the tarmac runway. I peered out of the window at what I could see. The earphones I had in had now gone silent and I had long since reached the end of my playlist. I took them out as the plane slowly began to turn around on the runway and wound them around my finger, throwing them into my backpack.

Despite sleeping for most of the journey, I still felt exhausted. The time difference was definitely weighing on me hugely. I mentally groaned as I thought about how long it would take for my sleeping pattern to be set again. But for now, I was way too excited to care.

It took the usual amount of time to get off of the plane and into the airport. I stood around the baggage claim, waiting for the conveyor belt to start and the cases to come spinning around. I won't pretend that a tiny panic of how I was going to get my case off of the belts by myself didn't cross my mind. I realised a little too late that this was the first time I hadn't been accompanied by at least another one person to help me retrieve my case should I need the assistance. However, I convinced myself that I would just have to manage.

Whilst a crowd began to form around the belts, I tapped my foot impatiently. My mind wandered to what would be currently going on back home. I reached into my pocket and pulled out my cellphone. The time had yet to be adjusted to AUS and it was still currently on flight mode. I deactivated the little plane icon and allowed my phone to take a few seconds to restart. When it had, I typed in my password and set about texting my mom. I had protested that she may be asleep or busy or at work when she made me promise to text the minute I landed - but she had won the argument.

Hey Mom, just wanted to let you know that I landed safe and I'm waiting for my luggage. Let me know when I can call ❤️xx

I sent the message and mentally ticked off another thing on my To-Do list. I was just about to lock my phone when I noticed that I had an unread message from another contact. I left my message room with my mom and immediately smiled, seeing who this other message was from.

Trevor:
Hope the flight wasn't too bad 😬 good luck with finding your way around Sydney - we know you're gonna kill it ✌️

I felt the butterflies in my stomach fluttering around again. I had only been gone a couple of days, which seemed like longer than I thought because I had been travelling, and already I was beginning to miss home. I reread his message a bunch of times before I made any kind of attempt to reply. But as the conveyor belts in front of me began to move and all of the crowd jolted, ready for their cases to come shooting out, I knew I had a little bit of a time limit to write something back.

Haha thanks Trev ☺️ it wasn't too bad actually, slept through most of it. Hope you all enjoy the wrap party on Friday - bummed to be missing it. I'm sure I'll hear all the stories next time I'm home 😌

I quickly read over the message, adding the odd emoji here and there to lighten the mood and then hit send. Even still I kept the message open, as though I was expecting a speedy reply. Of course I never got one. He was fourteen hours behind me. Living practically another world away. So once the first three or four cases came passing by, I forced myself to lock my phone, and with it the tiny piece of my mind which was questioning what I was really doing here.

The cases had come in the middle, almost immediately together. That did make it a little hard to get them both off, but after a burly Australian dude chuckled and lifted the second one off with ease, I was good to go. I wheeled both of my cases behind me, with my backpack over my shoulders and headed towards the exit gate. There were a bunch of drivers stood holding up white cards with people's surnames on it. I glanced at each of them, looking for my own. The So You Think You Can Dance company had emailed to let me know that a car was being sent to take me to my apartment.