We start our journey at home, everyone rushing around grabbing bags, checking passports, and doing the classic last-minute panic of trying to remember if we’ve forgotten anything important. After finally cramming everything into the car, we set off feeling confident… maybe a little too confident.
About 30 minutes later, we arrive at LBA (Leeds Bradford Airport)… or so we think. Turns out we’re actually at the airport parking lot, which already feels like mistake number one. The shuttle bus that’s supposed to take us to the terminal never shows up, so we walk. What should’ve been a 2-minute trip somehow turns into 15 minutes of confusion. No one knows how.
By the time we reach the airport, it feels like a giant puzzle designed to confuse people. My mum is trying to say something, but I interrupt asking if she means the actual “maze to the terminal.” Then I notice a huge queue and worry it’s security. My dad casually says, “That’s Greggs.” I look over and see a sign saying FREE SAUSAGE ROLL FOR EVERYONE. Suddenly, everything makes sense.
We drop our bags just in time, then head into security, which is absolute chaos. It’s packed wall to wall. People are rushing, trays are flying, alarms are beeping, and everyone looks like they’re in a survival game.
Next comes duty-free, or the distraction zone. Shops everywhere, people stopping constantly, and somehow we end up carrying more bags than we arrived with. Escaping feels impossible.
Finally, we board the plane just before the doors close. I sit by the window, watching runway lights glow as the engines grow louder. The plane moves faster and faster, until suddenly we’re in the air.
Then comes the Leeds air tour. Instead of climbing straight out, we circle over Leeds, spotting roads, houses, and fields like a giant map below. It feels like a bonus sightseeing flight nobody booked.
Takeoff hits hard, my stomach drops, and everything feels way more dramatic than it should. But it settles, and we realise we’re properly flying.
After what feels like a chaotic adventure, we finally land safely at Leeds Bradford Airport again. Somehow, after all the stress, confusion, walking, and accidental touring of Leeds, we’re home. And all I want to do is sleep.
