Start Again

Chapter Three

Audrey

"Ladies and gentlemen," the pilot called over the intercom. "Please fasten your seatbelts, open your window shades, and store your trays in the upright position. We will be landing very shortly. It is currently 6pm in Seoul. The weather is slightly cloudy with a comfy 23 degrees. I hope you enjoyed your flight with Korean Air."

I readjusted my seat into a sitting position and pulled up the window shade, glancing out at the looming city beneath me. Hundreds of lights illuminated the sky below. A smile slipped on my face. I had seen this landscape in a number of TV shows, yet only dreamed of this moment. Now here I was. I was so excited that every drama and worry from the last few months were forgotten. All I could think about was the new food, different culture, people I would meet, and things I'd learn. This was going to be good for me. I could feel it. It was time to start again.

The plane came to a land, barely bouncing on the ash top. Eventually everyone was standing in the hallways, eager to get off. I decided to wait patiently. There was no rush for me to get off and I didn't like the idea of trying to squeeze through the mass of people.

When the hallway had cleared slightly, I got out of my seat and shuffled out, grabbing my hand luggage from the top and heading out. I had never been overseas before so I had no clue what to do. From what I had been briefed on by my parents, I had get my bag and then find customs where I would show my passport.

As I exited the terminal, locating the baggage area was quite easy. It was not far from the gate. I watched the conveyor belts move around. People grabbed their bags and left. The crowd began to disperse, and I still stood there five minutes later, watching three bags go around. Where was mine? I looked up and starting glancing around. Did someone take mine? Did they lose it? How could they lose my luggage? It was one plane! I thought these things only happened in movies. What do I do if I lost my luggage? I could feel my breath quicken. I needed to find my bag. This couldn't happen to me. What would I wear? I don't have enough money to buy new clothes.

Suddenly a guy walking in the distance caught my attention. A familiar sticker and tag attached to a black suitcase caught my attention.

"Hey! You!" I called out as I started running. I could not tell the nationality of the person from behind. "Jeogiyo!" I tried in Korean.

The person turned around and stared at me. He wasn't Korean.

"Do you speak English?" I asked.

He raised an eyebrow.

"Hangukeo?" I tried.

He shook his head.

"Francais?"

Nope.

"Italiano?"

Nope.

"Deutsch?"

He didn't shake his head.

"Sprechen sie Deutsch?"

"Ja."

"Shit. I don't," I mumbled to myself. "Um... Gepäck," I said, pointing at the suitcase. "Mein." I pointed at myself.

"Deine?"

I had no clue what he said, but he was pointed at me so I assumed he was confirming I was saying it was mine. I nodded and grabbed the tag, showing him my name. "See? Mein."