April 28, 2025
by Jordan McAllister

Yesterday was my first time ever flying alone, and honestly, I was already a bundle of nerves before I even stepped into the airport. Security wasn’t too bad, but after they scanned my stuff, I ended up reorganizing my bags without really thinking. I put all my electronics — laptop, tablet, headphones — into this smaller bag I usually don’t even carry around.

Fast forward: flight goes fine, I land, grab my suitcase off the belt, and hop into a taxi feeling like I conquered the world. About halfway to my hotel, this awful, sinking feeling hits me. You know that moment when your stomach just drops? Yeah. I realized I didn’t have that smaller bag. All my expensive stuff… gone.

I practically begged the driver to turn around. Bless him, he didn’t even hesitate. When we got back, I lucked out — big time. My flight was the last one for the night, so the plane was still parked and the staff actually managed to find my bag sitting right there. I seriously wanted to cry from relief.

Sure, I ended up paying way more for the cab ride than I expected — way above what the app estimated — but honestly? Small price to pay. Could’ve lost everything. Definitely learning to triple-check my bags from now on, though. First solo flight… unforgettable for all the wrong reasons.