Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Another Lesson Learned
Losing your passport—probably the last thing that you want to happen while in a foreign country. However, it happened to me. Once I entered the steel barred doors I felt as if I was back in America. CNN news was blaring in English from one corner as an air conditioner was breezing in another. The black tile floor, the glass in front of the help desk, and the abundance of cameras all reminded me of the seriousness of my situation. While sitting in the stiff plastic chairs that usually accompany any normal waiting room, I kept pondering to myself how I could lose my passport. I then overheard a blonde American girl who looked as if she had just returned from a hike talking to a couple. At one point she said, “I was sleeping at the train station and a man walked by. My backpack was lying next to me and the next thing I knew it was gone.” I thought to myself that my life could be worse and at least I learned another lesson.
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Great choice of scenes, Emily, and educational for those of us who are glad it hasn't happened to us... yet!
ReplyDeleteIt's not clear, however, WHERE you are inside those steel barred doors. I think you need to place the scene in the American consulate in some city or general location (central Europe). And even how many hours you waited for a replacement, to contrast to what all of the rest of us know is a multiple week wait for a passport at home.
You made an interesting and impactful choice not to reveal how you lost your passport, or even that you are a college student abroad. I like that.
You might, however, have given a little more info about how many days you've been traveling, in what countries and what kind of activities. It could be only a sentence or two, e.g.: It happened after eight travel days in three European countries, five hours of biking a vibrant city and three blissful hours on the beach.