Everything you think when you are back at Schiphol for the first time again

‘Avoid unnecessary travel.’ To what extent does that still apply when your mother is emigrating? Where is the line between unnecessary and necessary? It didn’t feel right that I had only seen the house she had fallen in love with spontaneously via FaceTime. After six weeks of shedding tears, doubting, missing, and more doubting, I was fed up. So I booked a ticket, did the PCR test beforehand, and flew to Alicante in two and a half hours.

Once at Schiphol, everything feels like a kind of crazy dream. I think I hear Queen in my ear. Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? All senses seem to be on high alert. And these are the things that pass through your mind.

This Is The Place I Have Missed So Much  

The control tower standing there as if nothing ever happened. The recognizable not quite pleasant breeze that makes the ‘before Schiphol photo’ almost impossible for people with bangs. The revolving doors. The people who quickly smoke a cigarette before their inner addict is put to the test for hours. I have missed it all.

This Is The Place Where All Great Adventures Have Always Begun
The girls' outings. The sister trips. The ups and downs to London and Paris. All the Amayzine group outings with my colleagues. Greece adventures. The grand press trips. Costa Rica, Las Vegas, Thailand, Chicago, Aruba, Oregon, Iceland, Doha. The vacations. Ivory Coast. New York. Portugal. Bali. Curaçao.

Oh Yes. This Is The Place Where Food Is Unaffordable 

Coffee? 5.25 euros. Cup of fresh fruit? 7 euros. Salmon sandwich? 10.25 euros. HAHAHA. Completely crazy. The reason everything is so expensive? Because we are willing to pay for it. It’s that simple. We want it now and we can’t buy it anywhere else. We are stuck in the airport bubble where monopoly reigns. And you know what? Mindfuck me psychologically then, I’m in the mood for anticipation so bring on those weird prices.

This Is The Place Where You Always Feel Like You’re Doing Something Wrong At Customs 

Ooooh shit, I completely forgot that. *Deodorant larger than 100 milliliters goes in the trash. Sometimes you take your laptop out, sometimes you don’t. Sometimes shoes come off, sometimes they don’t. Then the beeper goes off and you have to deal with the search patrol (always awkward those fingers under your bra band) and then there’s still a bottle of water in your bag. Anyway, there’s always something in my suitcase that raises questions at the scanner.

This Is The Place Where You Definitely Get Your Ten Thousand Steps
Gate B31. Let’s see. Oh yes, straight ahead. Down the escalator. A few more shops. Let’s buy a new bottle of water because the other one has been thrown away. And then out that long corridor. Another long corridor. Mind your step. Fewer and fewer shops. Is this the polderbaan? Oh look, cool, 10,000 steps. Say, where are we going, man? Jesus, do they sell blister plasters here too?

And then… 

…you arrive at your plane and the adventure begins. Sigh. The ins and outs at Schiphol, I have missed it so much. These are difficult times for travelers. But now that the world is preparing to open up again in 2021, we can cautiously start dreaming again.