Saying goodbye to my parents was brutal. Harder than I thought it would be by a longshot. My mom cried like I've never seen her cry. My stepdad even got misty eyed as I hugged them one last time before jumping in the TSA line. I wait until I'm through the line before I run to the bathroom, lock myself in a stall, and bawl my eyes out. I've never been away from home like this before. I mean, I've had sleepovers that have lasted whole weekends. But going to a different country for almost half a year? What was I thinking?

The tears are falling hard and fast, and it's all I can do to stay silent as fellow fliers come in and out of the bathroom. It's only when my I know I only have thirty minutes until boarding that I stand up, flush the toilet to keep up the appearance that I was, in fact, using the bathroom all this time, wash my hands, splash some cool water on my face to minimize the blotchiness, and head out to my gate.

My anxiety spikes when I see there are already people in line. I jump in behind an old woman who is clearly standing beside her husband, and wait. I've only ever been on an airplane on other time, and I have to admit, I was a little nervous. But they always say that flying is safer than driving, and I do that all the time. I close my eyes and take some deep breaths, hoping to steady my pounding heart.

"You okay, miss?" the old man in front of me says, and when I open my eyes, I see his wife is staring at me with concern.

I nod my head quickly. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just jittery."

He gives me a reassuring smile. "Don't be. I was a pilot for many years before I retired. I promise you, flying is much safer than driving."

"I've heard," I say with a smile. And then, because I know the chances of me seeing this elderly couple ever again after this flight are slim to none, I decide it's relatively safe to unload on them. "I'm about to start a foreign exchange for school, and I've never been away from home for this long. So there's that too."

Shit. The tears are burning my eyes again, and I wish I had a bottle of water or something to calm myself down. The old woman gives me a sympathetic smile. "That sounds like a scary adventure, honey," she says with a southern accent. "But I bet, when it's all over and done with, you're going to be happy you went."

She's right, and I know it. But right now, all I can think about is how much I'm already missing my mom, my stepdad, Beth, and... Baker. My heart burns at how we left things, and I'm regretting not hugging him goodbye. I've slept with the duck he gave me every night, and I even packed it in my carry-on so I know there's no chance of losing it. He hasn't text me since that day, but I've thought about him almost nonstop. I hope he keeps his promise and emails me.

"It's going to be a memorable trip," I reply to the old woman. "I just wish I could pack all my loved ones in my suitcase with me. But I guess that's half the point right. Plus, it's getting me ready for when I go off to college." Silver linings, even if the thought is painful already. If I'm struggling with a few months, how am I going to handle four plus years?

"That's a wonderful way to look at it," the old man says. "You are going to be just fine. Enjoy your experience, and I promise that the months will just fly by. You'll be home before you know it, and more ready than ever to face your next great adventure."

I nod my head and smile, but just as I'm about to respond, I hear my phone ring with a notification. Pulling it out of my pocket, I see a text message from Baker Scott. My stomach does a somersault as I read the words.

"Are you nervous?" he asks me. That's it. Three words. Nothing else.

I type back. "Honestly? I've never been more nervous in my life." I hit send before I even have a chance to think about it.

A few moments later I receive another text. "Don't be. Flying is safer than driving. You'll be okay."

A smile pulls at my lips as I write back, "So I've heard." The line starts to move as the flight attendant opens up the gates, so I send another message. "Boarding now. Wish me luck. Talk soon."

Barely thirty seconds go by before I'm getting another text. "Lots of luck, Summer Lumen." With the message, he sends me a tiny emoji of a four leaf clover. God, I'm going to miss him. I turn my phone on airplane mode before sliding it back into my pocket and following the line on the plane. The old man and his wife offer for me to sit beside them, and I take them up on it, taking the aisle seat because I'm too afraid to look out the window.

For the whole flight to Seattle, we talk about where we're headed and what we're doing. My mood shifts from anxiety to excitement as I tell them all the places I'm hoping to see while I'm gone. They tell me about how they're going to Hawaii for their fiftieth wedding anniversary, which is a place they've always wanted to visit but were never able to. Esther, the old woman, says that they wanted to go to Hawaii right after they were married, but she fell pregnant right before their nuptials. After much discussion, they decided to hold off until their son was old enough to go with them. But four kids later, they never made it. Until their son, Ken Jr., decided to surprise them with tickets for their anniversary.

It's such a touching story, and it's making me grateful that I'm able to take a trip like the one I'm taking before I'm tied down to anything or anyone. I'm still going to miss my family. And Beth. And Baker. But at least I have this opportunity. There are so many people who don't. So many people who wait their entire lives to go on an adventure like the one I'm taking right now. No matter what happens on this trip, I need to make sure I'm enjoying it while I can. This couple waited their entire lives just to see Hawaii. I'm seventeen and going to another country. It's amazing.

I'm enjoying talking to the older couple so much that I forget they aren't traveling with me the entire way. We part in Seattle with a brief hug as they head toward the gate that's going to take them to Hawaii, and I run to find the one that's going to lead me to London. This second flight is going to be so much longer, and part of me hopes that I'll get to set next to another person who wants to chat. It definitely made the time go by faster.

No such luck, though. Everyone on this plane looks a bit tired and cranky. I take the aisle seat next to a woman with headphones and sunglasses on, something I'm quickly learning is the universal code for DO NOT TALK TO ME. I sit beside her and pull out my phone, texting my mom to let her know I'm going to be quiet for a while, as I just boarded the plane to London. She writes me back saying she loves me and to call her when I make it to the U.K. I agree before turning my phone on airplane mode for a second time.

The second flight is so much longer than the first. I packed a book in my carry-on with my laptop and duck (which I've lovingly named Sal, after the author J.D. Salinger, who wrote The Catcher in the Rye). But the flight is over ten hours long, and I only brought one book with me. The complimentary wi-fi is so crappy that I can hardly read a single news article on my laptop. So I put it back in my carry-on and try my best to doze off. But behind me is a kid who apparently suffers terrible motion sickness, and between her throwing up in one of those puke bags and her mom trying to keep water in her, I find can't seem to fall asleep.

After a while, I decide to pull out my laptop again, getting a glare from the quiet woman sitting beside me as I pull down the food tray and set my laptop on top of it. Obviously I can't surf the internet. And I don't have any games on this thing I can play. I mean, it's not like I'm much of a gamer anyway. So I decide to do the only thing I can think of. I pull open my email (it seriously takes four minutes to load) and open up a new draft.

Hey, Baker,

Everyone always talks about how exciting flying can be. Hard to believe I was nervous a few hours ago. Now I'm just bored. Wi-fi is awful. Seriously bad. And I've read the only book I brought with me. So I couldn't think of anything else to do besides write this email. But even as I write it, the kid behind me is throwing up in a bag, and the girl beside me is glaring at me for having the audacity to share her space. Only five more hours until we land. Can't wait.

Tell me how the New Year goes in Coeur d'Alene. I want to hear all the details. It's weird, knowing I'm not going to be there for it. Usually we go downtown and watch the firework show. I'm kind of going to miss it this year. Not sure what my host family is going to do. Honestly, I'm a little anxious to meet them. I've been told I can be a little intense, so I'm not sure they're going to like me. And I'm also not sure how much I care.

I've been writing this email for ten minutes. I can't send it, because, as I said, the wi-fi sucks. And I can't sleep, because that kid is just a couple seats behind me heaving every few minutes. Can't imagine this flight could be any worse.

Say hi to your brother for me. Send positive thoughts to the skies.

-Summer

I don't hit send, because I know the message will more than likely get lost in the ether if I try. So I reread it over and over, overthinking every little thing and wondering if I should say something else. The sun is setting, and when I get a glimpse out the window, I see nothing but dark water underneath us. The kid behind me settles down finally, probably thanks to the miracle that is nausea meds. With a final glare from my seatmate, I stand up and put my laptop back in my carry-on. Then I sit back in my chair, close my eyes, and try to sleep to pass the time.

I sleep for a lot longer than I intended. Don't know if it's the sound of the engine that lulls me into such a deep sleep, or the adrenaline crash from days of stress. But I sleep like a baby, and I don't wake up again until the pilot announces our descent. I rub the sleep out of my eyes and sit up straighter, looking out the window to see that the ocean has been replaced by cities. We're close. And my heart is racing knowing that my adventure is about to begin.

The pilot lands the plane safely, and after several minutes, we're all given the okay to collect our things and exit. I grab my bag and get in line, trying to avoid eye contact with my angry seatmate in the process. Behind me is the woman with the plane-sick kid, carrying him in her arms, both their bags hanging over her shoulders. She looks exhausted and uncomfortable as we lock eyes briefly. Then she mouths the word "Sorry", and I shake my head, giving her a quick thumbs up.

"You can go," my seatmate growls at me, and when I look ahead again I see the line has begun to move.

"Oh, sorry," I say quickly as I scurry forward, trying to catch up. She rolls her eyes as embarrassment blossoms on my cheeks. But the embarrassment washes away the moment I get off the plane and take in my surroundings. There's nothing of note here. Not really. It honestly resembles the Seattle airport. But it's not really what I'm seeing. It's the feeling. For the first time in my life, I'm not in America. My heart races as a slow smile spreads across my face.

I'm in England. Thousands of miles away from everything I've never known. And I am so unbelievably excited. Five months. I'll be here for five months. And I plan on making the most out of every second.

Author's Note:
Not much happens here, and yet I think it is really exciting! She's embarking on a life changing adventure. My friend Kathe is always telling me I should go on these adventures while I can, and so I dedicate this one to her. I might not be able to afford to do this myself, but I can live vicariously through Summer. And it's almost the same thing. Right?

I hope you all love this chapter. We'll be in the U.K. for a while. Next chapter we get to meet Summer's host family. How do you think that will go? Let me know in the comments! I'll be back soon with another chapter! Stay safe and healthy until then, my dears!
XOXO,
~Aly