We all make mistakes in life, mistakes that we can't reverse simply because we can't change the past, mistakes that can only lead to one thing: regret and right now, regret is the only thing that I seem known to.
Change happens at such a quick speed. These past few days have been a blur, progressing so fast that I have been unable to keep track of everything.
The past as seen as history: mistakes that we learn from and it is not always pretty and there are events that you just want to forget about. Events in our lives change everything and as I sit upon this plane, thirty-thousand feet above the ground, I realise how big of a mistake I have made.
I was not ready for the heart-wrenching homesickness. This was the day in which everything would start. A new chapter in my life but also the beginning of the end, the end of unknowingness. They say not to judge a book by it's cover but that was exactly what I was doing.
The surrounding passengers were filled with an overwhelming amount of happiness. I was the opposite. I couldn't feel in any way enthusiastic about the current situation.
The day I found out I was being forced to move to Brighton, miles away from my foster-mother who right now is fighting for her life was not a particularly good day. Of course I would be made to adapt to foreign environments after I had finally fit in at home. Of course.
So I'm now spending the rest of my summer here so as I hear the pilot of flight BA1476 announce that we are nearing London Gatwick, I am neither thrilled nor excited. I was only slightly thrilled to get off this plane because my middle-aged neighbour who had fallen asleep twenty minutes into the flight had prevented me from getting to the bathroom and by this point, I was really needing.
Suddenly, the rounded window next to me was no longer covered by a bunch of large, white clouds but they had been replaced by bright sunbeams which shone through the window as we landed.
A quick glance at my phone let me know that it was just after five. Stretching my arms, I almost hit my neighbour who is still asleep, fortunately not snoring. His body was half falling out of his seat and his head was lop-sided, hovering over the headrest. People were cautious not to hit him as they made their way down the aisle. It must be so uncomfortable to sleep in that position.
As I finally made my way off the plane, I was hit with a blast of hot wind and I rushed off to collect my luggage.
I keep one earphone in as I near the conveyor belt which is already in full motion. I stand in a suitable spot, getting ready to haul my luggage off the belt when I see it whilst the other passengers begin to yell that they see their luggage. My suitcase is last to come and I focus on it as it nears me. It's distinctive because it has song lyrics sprawled over it's edges so I yank it off the belt and follow the directions to the exit.
Thankfully, the queue at the control booth isn't too long and before I know it, it's my turn to give this stubborn, not entirely pleasant-looking man my documents so that he can examine me to ensure that I am indeed Caitlin Olivia Carter, the brown, wavy-haired, sixteen year old that has pretty much been forced here standing in front of him.
I made sure to visit the restroom before I headed outside to make sure my appearance was okay and wouldn't match with what a dirty, homeless person would look like. Even though I have no one to impress, I don't want to scare anyone so with a quick look in the mirror, I figure I look acceptable. Sort of.
When I finally make my way outside, my luggage getting dragged along behind me, I am faced with people hysterically waving at their guests who are approaching them. Different accents surround me and as I look ahead, I can make out some placards with names on them, squiggled in different kinds of fonts.
