The first time alone away from home can stir up a lot of new feelings and emotions.

As I strolled through Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, my first feelings were of apprehension, sadness and frankly, surprise, at how shoddy the airport looked.  The entire building seemed to be made of canvas, as though it wasn’t meant to be there.  I vaguely remembered something about a small fire in recent months, but even with tents and canopies in place of the permanent building, the crowds around me were overwhelming and disorganised. 

It crossed my mind that I probably shouldn’t judge, I’ve never seen Kenya before, maybe this is just how things are.  So, I swallowed any negative perceptions and continued my walk through the arrivals area alone and perplexed.

With a 7 hour stopover in Dubai behind me, I’d already had plenty of time for overthinking – time to sift through all of my other emotions and let them run their course.

Dubai airport is an impressively large area – 2,900 hectares (7,200 acres) to be precise.  21,231,530 sq ft of that space is dedicated to the passenger terminal building.  An anxious girl with several hours to spare and the adrenaline of excitement to expel might use this time and space for some reflective pacing.  I figured that was me, so I took the opportunity to do just that, questioning my life decisions thus far.

That’s a hell of a lot of floor to pace, even with athletes legs – which I don’t have, just making a point.

So with that emotional roller-coaster already under my belt, the only thing I felt now, was tired.

Now, to find my pick-up…

Pictures in this post are courtesy of BBC News

Making no sense? Maybe start with Part 1

Want to keep reading? Head on to Part 4