by Jc Aquino

“Great things never came from comfort zones.”

Written on a hotel balcony, where the birds flock around the fishing boats in this warm Mediterranean summer. Where rockets literally have a red glare, and chaos thrives in the heart of serenity.

Traveling is what I consider as a newfound passion, as I have only received this gift of seeing the world through a broader perspective less than six years ago. I can still remember how a short trip to Bacolod felt like forever because I just wanted the plane to land to get the experience over with because of my fear of flying until it changed me and instilled in me an insatiable hunger to explore and cross thousands of miles and see what is beyond the horizon.

Being assigned to a place that the world now considers one of the most unstable countries out there, Libya, the experience somehow gave me a tougher skin and a deeper understanding of how one situation can change for the better or for the worse. Having worked on and off here for the past five years gave me a better outlook in life, and I believe there are no worse kinds of travel-related woes.

When you are in a work location designated with a Travel Alert Level 3 (update: Level 4 as of the time of this writing), the airport being bombarded by rockets every now and then, and lots of security threats, you know you’ve already prepared for the worst when it comes to testing your patience. A lot of my friends can’t help but wonder why I keep on staying in this chaotic place that I call my second home, but there are more reasons to stay than reasons to go and find another safe haven.

I’ve had my share of crazy itineraries in the past, flying to one country after another. However, most of them involved two or three countries in a span of two to three weeks. This time, it is a bit different because I only got a short leave, and there were a lot of personal errands I had to accomplish.

Three Countries. Six Flights. Nine Days.

The itinerary looks very exhausting on paper, but it got me really excited because it will be my second time to visit Europe. Despite just seeing three countries, they have very distinct appeal to them. Everything has been planned out, flights set, accommodations arranged, and friends who will be hosting me already informed.

So what could go wrong?

My original itinerary was pretty straightforward, Tripoli-Tunis-Frankfurt-Stockholm-Rome-Tunis-Tripoli. If you’ll look at the route on a map, it is a full circuit traversing North Africa, mainland Europe, and Scandinavia, and the longest flight is only three hours. This should not be exhausting for me at all, considering that I’ve been going around for flights spanning up to fourteen hours non-stop.

When the day came, I had some positive pre-trip jitters. After packing my things in the office, the first hurdle was to make sure that the airport was open and safe (the airport was closed for a couple of hours the day before my trip). Thankfully, it was open, and the first leg of the itinerary was unremarkable, so I felt really pumped about the trip.

But it went downhill from there…

📍Tunis-Carthage Airport | Tunis, Tunisia 🇹🇳

While waiting for my red-eye flight to Frankfurt from Tunis-Carthage airport, I was informed by a Lufthansa ground crew member that I have to enter Italy first rather than Germany as I am holding a Schengen visa issued by the Italian embassy in Tripoli. The ground crew informed me just an hour before the flight, which made my mood shift slightly. For me, that is odd, because I have never heard about, let alone encountered, this type of issue before. Despite the fact that I have provided all the requirements to support the reasons for my trip to Germany, I was not allowed to board the plane.

Tunis-Carthage is a rather small airport, and after the 2011 revolution that led to the downward spiral of the conditions of Tripoli International Airport in Libya, Tunis-Carthage airport became one of the primary gateways from the Maghreb Region to Europe, the other two being Mohammed V in Casablanca, Morocco and Houari Boumediene in Algiers, Algeria. Tunis-Carthage is so small that the transit area can only sit less than a hundred people, despite the fact that this airport served more than six million passengers in 2018.

So, my eight-hour layover in Tunis slowly slipped into uncertainty. There are three daily flights from Tunis to Rome, but I had to wait until morning to advise the travel agency about the situation so they could book the required flight to Italy for me. As the new day came, I immediately contacted the agency, and they promptly replied. Unfortunately, all flights to Italy, be it to Rome or Milan, were fully booked, and I had to find another alternative.

Ultimately, the agent found a different route: Tunis-Paris-Rome-Frankfurt, this time via Air France. He managed to book the 11:00 a.m. flight, after which I got my boarding pass. My excitement was rekindled, only to be dashed at the boarding gate again for another puzzling reason.

“You cannot board this flight because you must have a Paris-Amsterdam route before going to Frankfurt,” the crew told me, but this time I wasn’t not buying it. I thought that there must have been something weird going on. I was escorted back to the transit area like those suspicious passengers featured on airport security TV shows.

To my surprise, I was accommodated by the station manager of Air France for Tunis-Carthage airport. He told me that he was the one who decided to cancel the itinerary, and he wanted to speak with me. He asked me where I was really going because he felt the itinerary was suspicious. With a deep breath, I shared everything that happened. This clarified all the things that bothered him. He apologized and stated that making this call is one of the difficulties that come with his job, but it is a necessary step because of what is happening in the world right now. It dawned on me that such circumstances can befall anyone.

“Is there anything we can help you with while we are trying to fix the situation?” he asked.

“I just want to go. I just want to fly,” I told him as tears started to pool in my eyes because of my exhaustion and frustration. I have never experienced this kind of emotional and physical stress while traveling, and that is coming from someone who travels almost every month. After the brief conversation, he escorted me to the business lounge and advised me to wait while he tries to find a solution, as I have to be in Frankfurt the next day.

While I was in the business lounge, I tried my best to stay awake as updates can come anytime. I informed my wife and colleagues about the situation, and if worse came to worst, I planned to just go back to Tripoli and cancel the entire trip.

I started asking myself, what is this situation trying to tell me? Should I just cancel the trip altogether and reschedule it? Why is this happening? Why me?

After few hours of waiting, and having just two hours of sleep over two days, the station manager returned with two boarding passes. He reconfigured the itinerary with a more convenient route, flying from Tunis to Paris, then Paris to Frankfurt the next day. It sounded like a perfect solution to the situation. I told him I will update him as soon as I board the plane, which was scheduled to depart at 6:50 p.m., going to Charles de Gaulle airport.

For the first time in two days, a glimmer of hope touched my spirit as the plane left Tunis-Carthage airport on time.

📍Charles de Gaulle Airport | Paris, France 🇫🇷

Charles de Gaulle (CDG) airport is the largest of the three airports around Paris and also serves as the hub of Air France. I expected it to be a very lively airport, even during unholy hours, but it was eerily quiet when I arrived just before midnight. In fact, it was so quiet that it took me a while to find someone to help me locate the airport hotel so I can have a shower. As my nest flight was about nine hours away, I decided to find a good spot to have a nap.

I woke up after a few hours, took a shower, and found a Starbucks branch to purchase the You Are Here (YAH) Paris mug, and then, I was off. The entire immigration and embarkation process was smooth. Finally, I was heading to Frankfurt.

📍Frankfurt am Main Airport | Frankfurt, Germany 🇩🇪

Frankfurt am Main (FRA) is the eighth busiest airport in the world based on annual passenger traffic, and the airport is really huge. As Paris-Frankfurt is considered a regional flight within the Schengen area, it took me less than half an hour to find my way out. After just a couple of minutes in the airport, I already felt the difference in norms and behavior. 

📍Frankfurt, Germany 🇩🇪

My good friend and former colleague who accommodated me for this leg of the trip told me that Frankfurt is, as a local comparison, similar to BGC but a lot bigger. So, I expected tall buildings, traffic, and congestion. What surprised me was that Frankfurt, despite being a highly industrialized German city, is not as congested as I thought. In fact, I believe it is a very well-planned city with a great mix of tree-lined walkways, beautiful remnants of historical structures, and technological advancements. It is a fusion of the new and the old, blending together to establish a liberal vibe around the city.

My friend’s residence is a short stroll from The Main river, which is the longest tributary of the Rhine. It has a very nice walkway where joggers and cyclers pass by. Various breeds of geese also add to the overall appeal, and their calls blend with the chirping of smaller birds and the caws of the larger crows.

It was a beautiful setting for an afternoon conversation, catching up about life and being in awe of the fact that we used to be city employees working in Manila but were now having a catchup in one of the busiest cities in Europe. During sunset, the sky turned a beautiful red, and the dark cityscape was outlined as if on a magnificent tapestry, and the contrails of the planes coming by looked like shooting stars falling every minute. It was a magical experience, and that moment reminded us to be grateful for the struggles that we’ve had in the past because these propelled us toward something great.

I felt at home in Frankfurt because of its laidback vibe. It did not have the usual city vibe that can choke you. Frankfurt has its fair share of open spaces and patches that allow people to take a breather. The food options were phenomenal. My friend told me that Frankfurt is one of the more progressive cities in Germany, unlike other cities that decided to retain as much historical detail as possible.

I lost one whole day in my itinerary because of the mishap in Tunis-Carthage airport, but I gained a lot of inspiration and motivation to have an encore visit someday, with less errands and less stress. Speaking of stress, when I checked my supposed flight to Stockholm, it was no longer available in my itinerary. This meant I had to clarify it with Lufthansa the following morning.

Aaaaand the flight was indeed cancelled by Lufthansa.

My friend and her husband accompanied me to the airport, which is just half an hour away from their home. I went straight to the helpdesk, and I found out that they deliberately cancelled my itinerary with Lufthansa after I missed the first leg of the trip. So, I had to book a flight to Stockholm by myself, and thankfully, there was an available seat on my original schedule. I was headed to Stockholm.

📍Stockholm-Arlanda Airport | Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪

This was my first glimpse of Scandinavia and the Nordic Region, and I kid you not when I say that when we were about to land, I thought we were landing straight into a forest. There were trees everywhere!

Stockholm-Arlanda (ARN) is the third busiest Nordic airport based on total annual passengers and is about an hour away from Stockholm City if you’ll be riding the Flygbussarna bus. My first impression about Stockholm is that it is “chill” and not because of the weather. Rather, it had a chill vibe to it. While not a primary Nordic tourist destination—and a lot of my friends asked me why the heck I was going to Stockholm rather than, say, Reykjavik—I like the city, and I love how history and stress-free way of life blends perfectly well. It is clear why a lot of people thrive in Stockholm (and Sweden in general) —there is an air of contentment and peace of mind that embraces you the moment you step into the city.

📍Stockholm, Sweden 🇸🇪

Stockholm has a very organized transportation system, whether bus or train, and everything seems to be tastefully constructed. No wonder that this is the birthplace of IKEA. The city is generously peppered with museums, and my short stay allowed me to visit two of them. One is Vasa Museum, which is the most visited museum in Scandinavia. If you are into an immersive cultural experience, I definitely recommend Stockholm as a place to visit without hesitation, because it showcases a good representation of both Scandinavian and Nordic culture.

Fact: Scandinavia is a region in Northern Europe that includes Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. The Nordic region involves a group of sovereign countries (Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and Finland) and territories (Åland Islands, Faroe Islands, Greenland, and Svalbard). 

Daily expenses in Stockholm were perhaps one of the most expensive I’ve experienced in my trips; even souvenirs were quite expensive but were very well-made. We visited the interconnected islands of Stockholm, as well as the residence of the Swedish royal family—Drottningholm Slott. Each day I was in Stockholm, there was a healthy serving of nature. From glittering lakes, tree-lined national roads, and fog that embraced the land at dawn. Sweden is understatedly awesome in my book.

Staying in Stockholm for three days led me to a lot of realizations, showing me that lessons can be found even in the unlikeliest places. If you have an open mind and a strong heart, who knows where life could take you?

About six years ago, I heard about Stockholm as one of the best places to live. Fast forward to 2019, and that piece of knowledge eventually led me to visit the place and see it for myself.

The next morning, my friend and I went to the airport as we were about to part ways —I was leaving for Rome, and he was going to London. As I had some airport trauma and didn’t want to be late, we went early in the morning to catch our respective flights. We came in prepared—so prepared that we arrived so early that even the check-in counters were still closed (about three hours before the flight). It was a pleasant stay.

📍Leonardo da Vinci – Fiumicinio Airport | Rome, Italy 🇮🇹

Rome is the European city that broke my heart (or perhaps, expectations) last year when I first set foot into my first ever city in Europe. I expected a lot from this destination because, well, Rome is Rome. It is the eternal city, and whenever it gets the spotlight in travel blogs or documentaries and films, everyone will experience a true visual excursion. The place they featured is stunning.

Or is it?

Of all the cities I’ve been to, Rome is not the cleanest and definitely not the most organized. Graffiti and vandalism can be seen almost everywhere, and precautions about petty thieves and pickpockets abound. From these factors alone, it did not meet even half of my expectations.

However…

📍Rome, Italy 🇮🇹

What I love about traveling is not needing to see perfection but rather feeling the emotion and learning the lesson that comes with a place. Rome did not meet my expectations, but it nevertheless welcomed me with a warm hospitality. It is not an intimidating city. I spent one fine afternoon walking an astonishing number of kilometers because even though the uneven cobblestones tripped me every now and then, the sights of old architecture and amazing sculptures kept me going.

If Rome were a person, she would remind me of my grandmother. She is not perfect—she is old and has been tested by life and time—but she gives it all to welcome you and to make you feel at home. There is grace in her age, and that is something I felt the moment stepped foot on the city. This made me realize that Rome will always be one of the cities I will keep coming back to.

There was only one activity that I intended to do during my overnight stay, and that was to toss some coins into the Fountain of Trevi. It worked last time, so this time, I came prepared with five currencies to toss and to believe in a little magic. Sometimes, you really have to believe and think about better and more positive things.

The rest of my journey to Tripoli was unremarkable and smooth, and throughout this trip, I learned a lot of things that I felt a need to share.

Am I willing to have this experience again? It’s a resounding YES for me. Oddly enough, the stress was worth the lessons that came with it. Here are some of them:

Whenever you get the chance to travel, take it. The opportunity to travel, whether local or international, is a chance that not everyone will receive in their lifetime. Traveling is a privilege and a blessing because it allows you to see the world from a broader perspective. Whatever the reason that holds you back—if you’re scared, intimidated, or worried you’ll mess up—set all of them aside, and just go for it. Travel is the only type of activity that can help you find your way, reconnect with yourself, and touch the lives of other people even if they are complete strangers.

Always bring more funds than your actual calculated budget. Given that you will never know what might happen, especially if you’re traveling overseas, bring additional funds that will be enough to bring you home safely. This can also cover unexpected expenses (like medicine purchases or other emergencies like… souvenirs).

Don’t forget to breathe, and don’t forget to smile. I have a “resting bothered face” that gives off a suspicious or an odd impression, although I’m already working on it and have learned to smile a little more and a little more often. Smiling is a universal language, and it can help make a conversation better and lighter. You can even get discounts by just smiling!

Trust the journey. I am saying this based on experience. There are some parts of traveling that can overwhelm you or break your heart and/or spirit, but believe me, it is better to simply trust the journey as it will eventually bring you where you should be.

Believe in the Law of Attraction. What you attract is what you become, and your mind is an extremely powerful catalyst to bring you somewhere just by willing it. Stockholm and Frankfurt are two wonderful cities, but they were not in my priority list of places to visit. However, circumstances and, perhaps, the universe allowed a series of events to lead me to seeing them firsthand. Attract travel, inspire yourself with thoughts of travel, and you will be surprised that soon, these thoughts will materialize, and you are already living your amazing travel musings!

I dedicate this article to my wife, Ariane, my good friends Chloe, Richard, and Jerri, my godson Kardel, and to the generous Air France station manager who went above and beyond to help me; thank you for the adventure and the lessons that came with this amazing journey. This inspired me to write again about my travel experiences and to share them with others.