Thankfully it wasn’t an early start but it was something new for me, my anxiety was high, my mind racing and me constantly trying not to panic!
My mum drove me to the train station to get the train to Gatwick Airport where I was meeting my sister.
It was the first time I had got the train to the airport on my own and I looked like I was moving house with a suitcase, big rucksack and my huge bag for my TriRide wrapped in Fragile tape too!
The train journey was straight forward, although my suitcase had a mind of its own and rolled from one end of the carriage to the other! A couple of hours later I finally arrived at Gatwick and was relieved that there was someone there to help me off the train.
The lady was lovely and I explained my sister was coming in on a train and I needed to meet her. She stayed with me and worked out which train my sister was on and when we still couldn’t find each other even spoke on the phone explaining where we were. Once we had found my sister the lady helped us with my suitcase into the terminal so we could work out where we needed to go next!
We headed on the tram to get to the right terminal so that we could check in.
Once we got to check in my anxiety spiked even higher, we found the easyjet check in area and were extra early meaning there was no queue, however, we couldn’t work out how to check in when I had extra luggage and my wheelchair and at the time there was no one at the special assistance desk!
We managed to find someone to help and they checked and tagged our bags and put them down the magical belt that takes suitcases to planes. They also needed all the information about my TriRide and wheelchair but thankfully, in advance I had written down all the details of my wheelchair and TriRide, the sizes, weights, models, all the details you could think of so I was able to just give them the bit of paper with all the details on (if you ever travel with a wheelchair a HIGHLY recommend you do the same). We filled all the forms out and attached all the tags to my wheelchair and TriRide and TriRide bag before we were pointed in the direction of security.
We went straight down the Priority Lane to security and ended up using about 6 boxes between us. My sister went straight through but I was taken round the side. They had to pat me down, which being honest was awkward, especially when I told them they couldn’t pat down or touch my left leg. I got a weird look from them that strangely made me instantly feel guilty for something! They said that they had to check it so I agreed and just asked them to be careful as it’d hurt. They also tapped and stroked different parts of my wheelchair and TriRide, assumingly checking for drugs…eventually us and all our stuff went through and we spent the next 10 minutes getting everything back organised!
It was roughly an hour before we needed to head to the gate so went and grabbed some dinner before slowly making our way there.
We were the first at the gate and they let myself and an elderly lady who had special assistance through the gate, however, they let her go and get on the plane but held me at the gate saying my wheelchair needed checking because it was electric.
No matter how much I told them it wasn’t an electric wheelchair they wouldn’t believe me. I went to take it apart to show them it wasn’t an electric wheelchair and was told not to. I took the battery out (which had already been checked and was coming into the cabin with me), gave them all the paperwork and proof, but apparently it still needed checking by someone and the motor needed checking (impossible as the motor is in the wheel). Meanwhile everyone else on the same flight had gone through the gate and boarded the plane and I had the image of everyone sitting waiting on the plane. I was getting more agitated by the second and my sister could tell and was trying to calm me down.
Eventually, a bloke in a High Viz jacket walked up to the gate to find out what was going on. I explained that they were insisting my chair was an electric wheelchair, at which point he said “no it’s not, come with me”. He took us down to the plane, helped us put the TriRide in its bag, attached the bungee cords to my chair and helped me onto the plane. He said he really didn’t understand the issue and apologised.
I had booked our seats as the 2nd row from the front so there was no need for us to walk very far and my sister and I ended up with a row each to ourselves!
I had taken a small pillow to put my foot on to try and reduce the vibrations from the plane, it helped a little but the take off and landings were still both very painful for me. A bit over 2 hours later we arrived at Dubrovnik airport and despite us leaving late because of me, we caught right up time wise which was a relief – I hate feeling like I have caused others to be late!
After it was announced we would soon be landing, my anxiety and fear levels were once again increasing, wondering if my wheelchair would be in one piece or if it would be broken, or if my TriRide had been damaged or left in Gatwick, who knew what was going to happen?! I didnt even know if I would be able to get through the airport, if my chair was broken would I even be able to manage round the hotel, let alone with the swimming I needed to do? So many fears and questions were racing through my head!
The air hostess came and told us the ambi-lift was on its way to us and the next thing I knew they were opening the door on the other side of the plane to where everyone else had exited. I was led into what I can only describe as the back of a lorry. There waiting for me was my wheelchair, undamaged and all fixed as it had been when I left it and my Triride with the bag undamaged. It was like a HUGE weight had been lifted off my shoulders, I didn’t need to stress about not having my wheelchair and being unable to get around and I could finally get excited about the adventure and challenge ahead!
Once at the terminal in the airport we were taken straight through to passport control, once out the other side, our luggage was waiting for us and we were directed to customs and straight through to the arrivals where our transfer was already waiting for us! I was absolutely stunned, from landing to exiting the airport it only took 20 minutes!
It was dark outside so we didn’t get to see much of the landscape but what we could see was beautiful, we were surrounded by mountains, the air some how felt lighter and fresh and I was more relaxed. If that’s because the air was filled with the smell of the sea or it was just the stress of travelling being over, I didn’t care – I felt great!
We got to the border between Croatia and Montenegro where we had to show our passports and got them stamped. Once past there it was about another 30 minute drive to the hotel. It was difficult to tell since it was pitch black, but it basically felt like between the airport and our hotel was a mountain that we drove up and over and round. On the way into the town/back into what felt like civilisation we noticed a few supermarkets and some small shops that looked quite nice and they weren’t too far away from the hotel.
Finally, at just before 10pm we checked into our hotel. What we saw of it was very nice but, I had been travelling since 11am and was absolutely shattered. My ankle was sore, pain levels were high, fatigue levels were even higher and I was SO glad that we chose to travel out a day early so that I could sleep, rest and recover as best as possible the following day in preparation for taking on a challenge that, on this rare occasion, I honestly didn’t know if I would complete but more on that in the next blog!