My first flight was quite late in my life, just two months before my 18th birthday. I felt so grown up (in Poland you’re considered an adult at 18 years old) and ready to experience the biggest adventure of my life! It was June 2001, at this time in Poland you still had to purchase airline tickets through an agency. I spent hours trying to find the best connecting flight, which is funny because today it takes me 15 minutes to decide on a flight. Anyway, I purchased a ticket (which looked like a paper booklet) from Warsaw to New York through Frankfurt.
I was very excited however, I think my parents were more scared than I was. I meet a girl (about my age) at the airport who was flying to New York. It was her second time flying so I felt more confident and chatted with her for almost the whole flight.
I remember looking through the window and enjoying the calming view above the clouds. I felt as if I was on a big cotton candy field.
When it was time to fill out the entry forms, a passenger seated in front of me asked for help. I told him that the address field on the form is where he needs to put the exact location of where he will stay. His response to me was “I have no idea of where I will stay yet.” I was shocked and thought, how can somebody traveling to the US have no place to stay? I then asked the man, so where are you going tonight, where are you going to sleep? The passenger replied, “ I don’t know yet but in the USA all dreams come true, so all will be good”. I told him it’s not that easy you have your head in the clouds (both literally and lyrically). After our conversation, I don’t know what happened to him but I hope he was safe!
Thankfully I landed safely but my suitcase did not–it flew to Boston! Luckily, a friend I was visiting was the same clothing size as me so I was able to borrow clothes from her. The following day we took a trip to Montauk, Long Island, New York where I met someone whom 10 years later became my husband.
Purchasing a ticket is much easier today as you can find the cheapest and most convenient flights all on your own. You can simply access a boarding pass from your phone, and watch entertainment from your personal TV with a ton of options to choose from (earlier there was a common screen for all passengers to view entertainment).
I now fly frequently and enjoy it just as much as I did sixteen years ago. I continue to savor a glass of white wine on the plane at dinner time, as well as look through my window to admire the view of the calming clouds.
Ilona Maslanka
Associate Director, SEM