The Greatest Day of the Year???
Christmas, New Year’s, Halloween or perhaps St. Patrick’s Day? Everyone has there favorite holiday! For me it is without a doubt a little known festivus, called the first day of summer vacation. Only a selected group of wild warriors, who are brave enough to spend 10 months of the year often out-numbered by small children or gangs of hormonal teenagers, get to experience this magical and joyous day!
This day is often filled with a sense of awe and wonder. No gifts to unwrap except the wonderful present of knowing that today nobody is going to ask you to find a pencil or call you Miss or Mister. There are no balloons and streamers but instead a peaceful and relaxing morning coffee. By mid afternoon a smile slowly spreads across your face as you realize that today is the greatest day of the year because you have the most amount of vacation time left!
The Return From Vacation
Return from vacation!
Good, bad, fantastic, horrible, wonderful or rotten all vacations at some point come to an end. I am after all only a teacher on vacation. I have not figured out a way yet to reach permanent vagabond status, although I feel that might be a noble goal.
Anyways after 21 days of exploring the wonders of Egypt it was time to head home.
When I booked my flights I was so thrilled to be getting a cheap price that I didn’t really think about what flying at these times would actually be like. That maybe an important point to consider the next time I travel!
So I began by journey home blurred eyed as crawled out of the Dahab Plaza Hotel after one last evening of laughter in Dahab. My car to the airport arrived at 2:30 a.m. It was cold outside but by no means Canadian cold but too cold for my beloved flip flops. I slept from Dahab to the Sharm el-Sheikh airport, which might be the nicest airport in the Middle East. I slept the entire plane ride to Cairo and then was jolted into the harsh reality of the Cairo airport!
Like the city of Cairo the airport is just as busy. A mass mess of people pushing, shoving and hustling about. After some helpful, looking for a tip, airport man guided me from the domestic to international terminal I found myself in the line for the flight back to Kuwait. Upon seeing my white skin and blond hair the ticket agent began to shout at me, “ Kuwait, Kuwait, Kuwait. This is the flight for K-U-W-A-I-T!” Now I don’t know why he thought if he spoke louder it would make me understand him but each time he repeated the word Kuwait he raised his voice. I eventually smiled, held up my ticket and said, “ Yes, yes I really do want to go home to Kuwait.” He gasped, the lady beside me laughed and he eventually handed me my ticket.
At each ticket check point the agent either gave me a funny look or said, “ This is the gate for Kuwait. Are you looking for the gate to London?” By the time I got to the finally gate a small part of me wanted to ask if this was the plane for London. Just to see what would happen!
The plane ride home to Kuwait was smooth, customs was quick and painless and my luggage was in a cab driving back to the “Dunes” before you could say Habibi.
Habibi (حَبيبي) is an Arabic word that literally means my beloved (of a male; the female form is habibati, or colloquially habibti), from the adjective habib (beloved). It is commonly also used for friend, darling, and similar endearments.
Kuwait City, KUWAIT
Christine Oastler is a freelance travel writer, teacher and artist, currently living in Mahboula, Kuwait. Born and raised in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, Christine obtained her Bachelor of Arts at Trent University and her Bachelor of Education from Queen’s University. Currently traveling around the Middle East she finds herself riding the odd camel and embracing a new culture!