by Zlata K.
AI GENERATED IMAGE
When people ask me what’s the craziest adventure I’ve ever had, this image appears in my mind. The story is both thrilling and funny and only some people believe it. Everything began abruptly. In the last days of June 2022, my mom and I planned a trip from Kyiv to Dublin very suddenly due to our suspicions about my graduation ceremony from medical school - the administration was constantly pushing the dates forward, so we left without my diploma. When we arrived at the railway station, it was raining heavily, almost a thunderstorm. The fragrance of ozone filled the air, and it was starting to get dark. The place was full, with crowds of people moving towards the platforms. Our train was due to arrive on one of the platforms that was far away, and we needed to use the escalator to get there. Kyiv’s railway station doesn’t have lifts, and our luggage was heavy. “Here goes!” we said to each other. We climbed the first steps of the escalator with our bags. My mom went first. She couldn’t handle the weight of the giant suitcase she was trying to balance, and in the end, there was a domino effect - Mom’s suitcase fell on her, she fell on me and I landed on my suitcase. Don’t forget there were other people around watching us falling. However, a very kind man helped us to stand up and proceed on our journey to the platform. The train arrived right on cue, and we got to Poland the next morning. We transferred via InterCity train to Warsaw city centre, but then another thing happened - Mom decided we should leave from the Western railway station to get to the airport instead of the Central railway station which had lifts. The next train which was supposed to take us to the airport was scheduled to arrive on the platform that was behind one under construction. The time between point A and point B was a fifteen-minute walk. God help us! Two women carrying heavy luggage and nobody to help. Goodness knows how we managed to get from one place to another. A cold night wind accompanied us to the airport, where we had a completely new experience. Originally, we had booked our flight from Warsaw to Dublin a week ahead of our arrival in the capital of Poland and we hoped to exchange the tickets for a closer date. The airport employees refused to do that for free, regardless of our nationality. Well, there was only one option. My mom and I had to stay in Warsaw Airport for a week. All joking aside, it was very tiring. Sleeping in shifts of four hours each on a metal bench and using a local toilet as a bathroom, we found a gorgeous spot with a plug to charge our devices. Every day was a completely new journey. The brightest example was the first night, as people were sleeping on the floor waiting for their flights. It was shocking to observe the area as an everyday event. A sudden strike on the third day was another surprise. People gathered trying to figure out what they should do next, since their flights had been cancelled. There was a group of German travellers who were crying about the situation. That’s when we started to worry about our own flight in four days. At the end of this mind-blowing story, we departed. Honestly speaking, I know that this might sound like a fantasy novel. You may not believe it, but it’s the truth. My family finds this part of our life both exciting and funny to recall.