One way ticket, funeral of control freak!
Such a hardcore for me – no plans, no plan B, because no plan A.
When I met travellers like this, I was always full of admiration and a bit of jealousy that they could be so flexible and uncontrolling. That they could do whatever, whenever and however.
What all connects them is feeling of being… outside the cage. That they don’t have to change their plans, because they do not have any.
Freedom to change your mind.
Freedom to make up your mind in the last possible moment.
Freedom to follow things which just come by and to resign from things that appear to be different than discovered in Lonely Planet.
Apart from courage to do so and say:
„I’m leaving. I don’t know when I’ll be back or from where. I don’t know also where I’ll be in the meantime. You’ll get it from Facebook (or not). No promises”.
So to do that you must have appropriate state of mind.
But there was still another problem.
One-way-ticket is way more expensive than the return one. I’ll never get this absurd. I didn’t mean to buy a return ticket and won’t use the return – I am too practical for such solution. But I really wanted to throw myself into the unknown. With no other options and safety net. Just one-way !!
I have been thinking about this for three years and it become my dream. I believe that if someone is ready for something, the chance happens. Like in in Japan saying: WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY THE TEACHER WILL COME. So when it didn’t happen for me, I thought that the time was wrong.
And now is the time of planning my journey and as the worst person to plan anything (I like to control, but I don’t like to plan, because it means decisions and obligations and resignation from many other available options).
I didn’t know where I’ll be and from where I’ll be coming back. That’s why together with my favorite and only travel agent we pondered from where I would return. 2 hours of “what if”, “maybe”, “possible its better”, “do they have international flights” we hadn’t arranged anything, but the next day I had a phone call:
– Julia! I’ve got an idea. What if we buy a miles ticket? At first a one-way and a return one just before your departure?
– But I don’t have enough miles for 2 tickets…
– But you have a one-way ticket?
– I do.
– So I will buy you a return one.
Silence…
– Are you there?
– Yes, I am.
– with your IPhone you never know – you’re there or you’re gone…..
– I am, but I don’t know what to say. It’s too much. Too many miles. I don’t think I can take such a present.
– Oh, stop it. If you don’t know the place from where you’ll return, this seems to be the most practical solution.
– But it’s so much money…
– I’ll handle it. I am happy to help and that you can make your dream come true…
The next day it turned out that I couldn’t… I lacked 4000 miles. It may not be that much, but I didn’t have them. I called a few friends – they also hadn’t.
– Krzysztof, I can’t make it. I don’t have enough miles, even for a one-way ticket. Well, this time we can’t make my dream come true – maybe next time.
– Julia, please don’t give up that fast. I will buy you a one-way ticket and you will surely gather enough miles for the return one.
– And if not?
– And if not, we will find a way. I promise you.
Krzysztof has been helping me in booking, planning and changing all my tickets for seven years. I’ve never seen him. Neither has he. And he bought me a ticket.
I met Krzysztof when he was still working at a corporation and even then he paid so much attention to me that I felt as if I was the only or, at least, the most important client. Now he has his own company, organizes trips for large groups and corporations and I still feel like I am the most important. What a man! What kind of corporation let Krzysztof go?! Lucky me :).
Such situation is the best proof for me that not only people are naturally kind, friendly and like to fulfill dreams, but also that loyalty and striving for harmony are not the cheapest solutions.
As I wrote in Discount state of mind – I don’t always want to pay the lowest price. I can buy all my tickets for myself and not pay a commission, but I feel like I was always gaining in my cooperation with Krzysztof. Once he called me at 8 am on my departure day saying that the day before airlines changed the rules for baggage and that he knew how important it was for me, so he changed my booking from 23 kilos to 32 kilos. “So … You can take as much chocolate and books as you want”. Once we agreed on rebooking my ticket from Costa Rica through text messages, because I couldn’t find an Internet connection anywhere.
And now he made my dream come true.
