My Travel Mishap

During the Summer of 2017, my family and I travelled to Tunisia from Chicago to visit my aunt and uncle for 2 months. It was a fun trip and all, from visiting my uncle's candy shop to purchasing illegally made apparel, but that's not what I'm here to talk about. Although the airport experience at Chicago was already unpleasant, with multiple delays, my experience at Tunisia was at a whole other level.

An airport is never a place I like to step foot in. Walking into an airport, I can always feel my heart rate go up for every step I can take. It's almost as if airports are designed for everyone but the passenger. My parents would always tell me when I begin to travel alone, to easily understand the process of flying, it is essential to familiarize yourself with five stages: planning, check-in, security, gate, and boarding. Even then, every visit to the airport must bring at least one disastrous event. This could range from repeated delays to, in my case with coming back home from Tunisia, not being allowed to travel at all.

So here's the full story. We bought our ticket, said our goodbyes, and checked-in to the airport. This was when things got messy. The thing is, my dad did not come with us. And Tunisia has a policy, which my parents never knew of, that in order to travel outside, you must have your paternal figure with you. This essentially meant we trapped ourselves in, and we were stuck in Tunisia till my dad came. School was fast approaching, and a ticket to Tunisia and back for my dad was not cheap. I was also pretty sick of Tunisia, so that didn't help. I was afraid I would become a permanent Tunisian resident and only be able to leave when I'm an adult.

Luckily, my fears were unwarranted and after an hour, we were able to convince the TSA at the airport that calling my father would be enough. After a long call with my dad confirming his identity, we were able to enter the airplane at a minute before departure and finally rest. It seems that the rule was lifted recently, so other travellers would not face the same fate as my family and I.