ENGL 1301
Lisa Mach
March 5, 2014
First timer
Growing up I have been told time and time again that I resembled my mother very much. But since I was raised by grandmother I was never able to relate to that statement. In 2004, as a reward for my good grades in school, my uncle generously bought my grandmother and I an airway ticket to Greece for a vacation to see my mother. I still reminisce about that vacation where I got to fly on a plane, see my mother and go to the beach all for the first time.
I remember waking up at five o’ clock in the morning to get ready for our long journey. I was so excited that I forgot about the daunting effort of getting up so early. We reached Addis Ababa Airport two and half-hours earlier than the scheduled flight time to complete some customs and other formalities before emplaning. I could barely hide my excitement while ascending the glistening aluminum stairs. Inside the plane, we were led to our designated seats. As soon as we were seated, I heard a voice announcing and requesting all passengers to fasten their belts. My heart thumped in my chest as the plane began to move into position for takeoff. And like a bullet the plane surged forward and took off while I clutched my bold grandmother’s hand who reassured me that the worst part was already over. After a while my attention totally shifted towards the person who was waiting for my arrival on the other side, my mother. The wait was maddening, I was eager to finally meet the woman everyone called my mother. I couldn't wait to see her face and confirm all the features that I uniquely resembled.
After six hours of flight which seemed like a life time we alighted in Greece. We quickly grabbed our suitcases and set off on a quest looking for her. It didn’t take long to pinpoint her; she embraced me as if I was a long lost son who finally came home. She had a wavy, dark brown hair and brown eyes. Her face was roundly shaped, which made her look both gentle and strong. She had high, arching eyebrows and a triangular, slightly turned up nose. Her chin was smooth and feminine. She was not very tall, about five feet six inches, and she was slim and graceful. She was wearing beautiful blue summer dress. We took a cab to her house and as soon as we entered her house I smelled the most alluring aroma coming from the kitchen. She excitedly announced that she had cooked something special for us. I followed my nose to
