The combination of excitement and uncertainty overwhelm me when I arrive in a new country. The words “Toto, I have a feeling we are not in Kansas anymore” always come to mind.
Arriving at the airport in Madrid extremely increased those emotions. As I heard the landing gear come down, I bit my bottom lip. We had arrived in Europe. Peeking out the window, I read the names on the side of airplanes I had not seen before: Spainair, Icelandair, Saudi Arabian Airlines.
I wanted to run off the airplane and begin exploring this new land. With camera in hand I was ready to capture every bit of my trip. I asked my travel partner to snap a shot of me waiting in line by the Aduana sign. I still had a smile on my face, so I was ready. As soon as the flash went off a woman security official approached me. “Photos are not allowed at security points,” she said. “Please delete the picture.” Oops! I thought I must have missed that sign. I purchased a new camera for this trip, so it was taking me a while to find the delete function. The line was forming long behind me. The clerks at the desk directed travelers to proceed around me to the left. Finally, I found the delete button admired the photo for one second and said goodbye to my first picture in Madrid. “Please show me the rest of your photos,” the security official said. I only had a few pictures from the airplane ride. “Vale” (which I understood to mean OK) she said and walked away. I stepped up to the counter, where a handsome European man was smiling. I recognized his cologne. It was Curve by Liz Clairborne. His scent was familiar and comforting. “Was it a good picture?” he asked. “Yes,” I said “too bad I couldn’t keep it. I’ll be careful to obey the laws.” He chuckled and said “Bienvenido a España.”
The event was much more memorable than the picture would have been.
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