On the 23rd of August 2015 my parents brought me to Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. I was 18 and just finished high school in May. My destination was Tel Aviv, Israel! I was going to volunteer in a kibbutz, which one I didn't know yet, but I would soon find out. I had some butterflies in my stomach, but I was feeling good and ready to go.
I was flying many times before, but the security check from El Al (Isreal Airlines) was something else. Before I entered the check-in, there was a military guy standing with his big impressive gun. What already made me think, do I really want to go there? (I still went of course haha) There were a lot of counters with El Al staff behind them interviewing passengers. When it was my turn he started asking me questions about where I was going, what the purpose of my trip was and all that stuff. I knew english from school and seeing movies and so on, but I never had to speak it for a long period of time, so that made me a little bit less comfortable. On top of that I was giving the most stupid answers to them. Now I've been in Israel 3 times and I know now that you don't necessarily need to say that you have been to Morocco, Egypt and Turkey if it doesn't show in your passport...
When the conversation almost ended, I thought I did a pretty good job. But then he gave me a little note that said I needed to have an extra control, at this time, in this gate. I don't know why, but that made me really feel uncomfortable. I was thinking why didn't he believe me, I'm just an 18-year old girl, going to a kibbutz? I think I was already nervous for going on this 8 month trip and then I also had now other worries in my head.
After I checked in my luggage I went inside the airport. Went to the toilet, went out and wanted to buy a sandwich. I looked for the 50 euro bill my dad gave me. I lost it... Typically me, but this was just not the moment for something else stupid happening to me. I ran back to the toilet and luuuuckily (!!!) it was just laying there on the floor. Don't ask me how haha.
I was relieved, but when I bought my sandwich, I went to sit somewhere on my own. And I almost had to cry and I was just thinking, can I really do this? Is this traveling something for me? I was supposed to call my mother after the security, but I just send her a WhatsApp with: ''let's not call now, because I know for sure I will cry my eyes out.''
That extra check was nothing big and of course I'm not a terrorist or something else, so I had nothing to worry about. I went to the gate and there were more military people with guns walking around. I was still not feeling the best, but sitting there and waiting for me to enter the plane, made me feel more relaxed. Now it was just sitting in the plane and arriving in a whole new city (for me) Tel Aviv.
