Xhelion Lika

ENG 21001

Prof: Miciah Hussey

Paper 1

Trapped

January 24th, 2022. My father and I were going to fly from Albania to New York, which involved taking transit flights due to the lack of a big airport in Albania. The initial flight went smoothly without any problems, but everything took a different turn once we landed in Turkey. As we were preparing to land, I knew this trip would be different from all the other trips I have taken in the past. 

Every day, my father reminds me to be prepared for whatever life throws at me. Additionally, this was my first obstacle as an adult. Snow was the only thing I could see as the plane descended. Temperatures were extremely low and snow covered everything. There, it was almost freezing. The first question that came to my mind was “How are we going to land?”. I couldn’t help but wonder how this plane was going to safely land in such precarious circumstances. However, the crew was reassuringly quiet, not wanting to alarm us. After the plane landed, I started thinking about everything.  How long are we going to stay in this airport? We were supposed to stay for two hours but that felt almost impossible. Where can we find a place to rest here? There were no places to rest at the airport since every flight was canceled. What are we going to eat? There were only fast food restaurants and vending machines around me selling unhealthy food. A lot of things were going through my head but there was only one question that I couldn’t find an answer for. When are we going to leave this place and go home? 

On that particular day, a lot of people at the airport were asking the same question that was on my mind. The day before my scheduled flight, I had spent time with my closest friend, who shared an experience in which a flight was canceled and everything went wrong. I had no idea that I would soon find myself in a similar situation. The snowstorm that followed our landing was so intense that there was no way to see, and chaos ensued among the passengers. I was able to keep my composure despite the environment that made me feel anxious and called my friend right away, who told me what to do first in this situation that we talked about less than 24 hours ago. I went straight to the transfer desk. I asked the lady there to secure me tickets for the next flight and she said that they were not sure when the next flight will be. For a second, I felt like I was trapped in a room and there was no way out. This time, though, there were thousands of people in a huge room.

Every minute we spent waiting for a response from the airline company felt like an eternity. We were stuck at the airport for hours, feeling increasingly anxious and frustrated. My father and I were both worried about each other and stressed out about the situation. Even though I knew I couldn’t control the weather, I still felt guilty for booking the tickets for that day. I made the decision to take charge and handle everything from that point forward because I could see how exhausted my father was.

His eyes were looking at me like I said something out of this world.  He almost found it hard to believe. He wasn’t expecting me to say that. When I said those words, I felt the pressure of being an adult. I told him to sit down and get some rest. I wanted to take matters into my own hands. It was the perfect opportunity to show him that I am no longer a child but an adult.  I was worn out but couldn’t fall asleep. I was hungry but I didn’t want to eat. I needed to come up with a way to leave. I had to use every brain cell. I started thinking that I have to survive and I began to wonder how to come up with a good idea. Instead of staying put and waiting for answers, it was smarter to go and ask people for the information I wanted.  Because of that, I realized how important confidence is. I came to the realization that I wasn’t the reserved person that people believe I am. I had kept a part of myself hidden from my friends and family for 18 years.

Several times, I had to go and ask for tickets. There were a lot of people waiting in line, so every time I went there, I had to wait for hours. They kept telling me that every flight was full. After so many hours, I got our tickets.  When I told my father that we would have to stay at the airport for two more days, the emotions I felt are difficult to put into words The tickets I got were for January 27th. Still 48 hours. My stubborn side said, “You can leave this place before that date, and everything is up to you,” while the other side of me said, “Finally we know when we are leaving.”  never accept my fate as a person. If people really want to, and if they try, I believe that everyone can alter everything. And I really wanted to leave that place as soon as possible. Nothing was impossible, even though everything appeared to be difficult. There is a way to solve any issue.

I began searching for tickets. Even though every flight was full, I still believed that someone would alter their reservation. I checked for tickets almost every five minutes. I checked once more just as I was about to go to sleep. There were available tickets for the next flight which was tomorrow. I stood up right away and ran to the transfer desk. Fortunately, I was the first person to learn that tickets for that flight were available. I spoke to the lady there. I actually lied to her when I said that my father was extremely ill and that we needed to get to the United States by tomorrow or else things would get worse. Since being honest is important to me, I wasn’t proud of doing it, but at the time, it felt like the best choice because it worked. Despite the fact that lying should never be the correct response, there are times when we must, regrettably. As a result, I got tickets for the next day and it felt like holding a trophy in my hands. I was there for about two hours and couldn’t wait to tell my father. Despite his concerns, he was overjoyed by what I did.

We fell asleep. I received a notification after a few hours that the flight was delayed but not canceled. After making it to our gate, we finally boarded the airplane. It seemed unbelievable to be there. It was difficult to believe that we had to endure so much to board that plane. We had a small talk. Probably the most profound words I’ve ever heard. My father told me that he now considers me his best friend rather than just his young son. He told me how proud he was and that things would have been worse without me. It was an extremely special time. I could not speak a word. There was finally some relief after three days of feeling guilty. My efforts were well worth it. I realized how crucial it is to take risks sometimes.

I gained a lot of knowledge in the end. I’m no longer that shy little boy. If I really want to, I can be confident. If you are not receiving the information you seek, you might be asking the wrong questions. Because my brain and my emotions are controlled by my brain alone, I must be careful about what I think in order to manage my emotions in these kinds of situations. I also learned that we should become accustomed to taking risks and stepping outside of our comfort zones. Moreover, my father was correct. You can always believe that you are prepared for anything that life throws at you. However, in order to comprehend your mental maturity and strength as a person, you must be put in challenging circumstances. Until God actually puts you through a test, you will never know how strong you are.