My Journey to India-Dubai

Hey you,

I'm reaching out to you with my first blog post. It's currently 10 AM here in Dubai and I'm sitting in a café, waiting for the check-in for my final flight to Kochi, India.

The past few hours have been quite exciting. It was my first time in an airport and I had to find my way around. After a long wait, I boarded my first flight. The excitement and anticipation grew as the airplane raced down the runway and gradually lifted off the ground. I think I had my eyes closed for the entire first hour because I didn't feel completely secure and my fear of heights kept creeping up on me. But then, after some time, I was able to enjoy the experience and was truly speechless at the view that unfolded before me - the folding mountain ranges, the shimmering rivers winding through the valleys, the lakes, the white, soft sea of clouds, and the emerging fiery red sunset during the approach to Istanbul.

What impressed me the most was experiencing how incredibly fast I flew from Basel to Istanbul. I was there in just 2.5 hours. As someone who has taken many train journeys across Germany that would last an entire day, I honestly couldn't believe it... amazing!

Unfortunately, my layover in Istanbul was very unpleasant as I was dealing with severe stomach pain and nausea. Thankfully, both subsided quickly once I was on the plane to Dubai. I slept a bit and stared up at the dark night sky. It's a completely new feeling for me to leave Europe, with its familiar culture, languages, people, landscapes, and norms.

To fly over completely unknown parts of the earth that usually seem so incredibly distant and far away. To actually see them, even if only from the airplane window, made me feel like I could grasp them better, creating a sense of closeness.

Towards the end of the flight, there were some turbulences, and I have to say, they made me feel quite strange.

The approach to Dubai was impressive, seeing the thousands of lights, the enormous buildings, and the various vibrant colors. But on the other hand, it's something that doesn't appeal to me, rather it deters me, especially because I have the backgrounds and the origins of this city in mind, which leave a bitter aftertaste..

I spent the rest of the night sleeping in my sleeping bag on my yoga mat on the airport floor.

Although there are moments of excitement and anticipation, right now, I feel a mixture of fear and loneliness. As I get closer to India, as I move further away, there is less and less familiarity, and I wonder what I'm actually doing. What it means to travel alone to India for six months..

What brings a smile to my face are all the Indians walking around the airport, radiating the warmest, funniest, and brightest smiles and laughter amidst all the people here.

And something a friend said to me a while ago makes me smile and helps me to escape from my worries for a moment:

'You're going crazy because you're going to India? Why is that? I think there are many more reasons to go crazy when thinking about staying here in Germany. The way people live here is insane.'

See you soon 🇮🇳

Warmest regards,

Sarah