My first Transatlantic flight – or how I got to Mexico

Like I mentioned on my facebook profile, I did feel both scared and nervous before the trip. Not about the packing though. But three months somewhere for the first time ever just by myself and on top of it, somewhere where the culture does not have anything to do with the one I have been used to for all my life. I know that feeling no nervousness or kinda weird would mean there is something wrong.

But more than scared, as you can all imagine, I am very very excited about my Mexico trip. It all started on Thursday the 10th, when I entered Madrid Barajas airport at 7am. My best friend calmed me down just being there with me. How easy it is just to come to the airport and print off the boarding card in a machine there, no stress, just insert the passport inside the machine and that’s it. No web check-in at home before.

For my surprise, everything went just right. Said goodbye to my best friend, passed the security and spent the time until the flight reading a tourist guide about Mexico City. Not that I always follow the advice in the guides, but there are always some useful info or places I have never heard of and look worth visiting. I boarded the plane like the 4th, and continued to 25F in the rear of the plane (out of 28 rows of Spanair Airbus 320).

I always prefer to sit in the back. The 2 hours and 20 minutes literally flew by. I was falling asleep and waking up all the time. Then had another 2 and a half hours in Frankfurt Mainz airport. Had some lunch very slowly and was watching the passers-by. It is the best way to make the time pass fast. The boarding for Mexico flight with Lufthansa was very chaotic, passengers not making lines, but a huge group of them coming from all the possible directions. Anyway, was fine and smooth.

I tend to choose window back seat but they were all occupied so at least aisle back seat in the last row of 56D (you can book the seat already when you purchase the ticket online which is much better than stupid low fares airlines flying over Europe when sometimes you have to fight for the place you want directly on board). I love this Boeing 747-400!!!

So happy I chose the last row because the cabin crew just behind me was so funny and making my flight nicer with the long conversations about life of cabin crew and the beautiful country of Mexico. Yes, Peter, I mean you! I even got some extra treatment – 3 mars bars and caramel&chocolate cheesecake lollipop. Yum Yummy!! (How just a simple smile can get you something :D)

The 11:45 hours was so far the longest flight for me. The first 3 hours I did not even realize how they passed at all, then it started to get slower and slower. Apart from permanent eating I watched 3 movies, read a magazine, wrote some stuff, slept 2 hours (was a bit bumpy in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean so could not sleep more) and talked with a girl next to me, which turned out to be a Mexican living in Barcelona and going home to visit her family. She came from one of the little towns in Querétaro, where I  am spending a week now. A coincidence or a destiny?

As I write this, we are somewhere north of Miami (Sebring) so it reminded me of a good friend of mine who lives in Miami. So now I send him a big hug from 11 km above the Earth :) It is one of the destinations on my have-to-visit-in-future list. Shit, just forgot I am not here alone and started singing Stay the night by James Blunt. Oops. Yeah, Suzy, I miss you!
Still 1992 km left out of 5000, with 798 km per hour it means still 2 hours and 30 minutes to get to Mexico City. I just filled out the immigration forms, let’s see how it all goes.

Ok, I ate again and packed up my things. The fasten seatbelt sign went on. We started descending… lights, lights and more lights. The boundaries of Mexico City are not visible. The lights never end. Infinity. I became even more excited.

At the airport, getting the visa was very easy. The guy called me mi hermosita Alexandrita and asked what I was going to do in Mexico. ”Travel” was enough to give me visa, woohoo and I was so scared!!

I get out at the arrivals and check all the waiting people 3 times. Then I finally see the boyfriend of my University classmate friend. I get a very nice welcome at their house, with everything ready for me, felt like in a 5 star hotel :)

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Posted in changes, flights, Mexico Tags: flights, flying, Frankfurt airport, Lufthansa, Madrid Barajas, Mexico, Mexico City airport, transatlantic flight, transport