Acumen: Riddling Life

Geneva, Switzerland (8)

Day four

I spend the ten hours flight by reading and looking out of the window of my airplane, comfortable in my plush airplane seat. Excitement and nervousness drowned out all the other feelings, including the need to sleep.

When the plane smoothly lands on the ground, I can feel every cell in my body buzzing with excitement.

I adjust my bag pack but keep my hands on its straps, fiddling with them all the while as I get off the plane and enter the airport.

I try my best to push my nervousness aside, and ignore my heart thudding loudly in my chest as I spot my luggage and go through the usual airport process.

A lot of things could go wrong, and it's my first time coming here alone and third in overall. The other two times being when I came with my family and I was way too young, so I don't think they count.

Though this whole trip is about changing the way I am, to become a better me, and the first thing I need to fix is my god awful habit of overthinking everything.

I start to walk towards the exit, keeping an eye on the men holding papers with names on it.

Dad told me my uncle's driver will come here to pick me up.

Instead, when I walk farther out, my eyes land on my uncle himself, wearing a bright green polo shirt and white pants. A man, I'm guessing his driver, is standing next to him, holding white cardboard with my name printed on it boldly.

Relief washes through me as I walk to them with a wide smile across my face.

"Eleanor!" My uncle greets me, wrapping an arm around me. "Look at you! All grown up." He says, patting my back.

The man standing next to him gets my suitcase and we start to walk towards his car.

He pushes his sunglasses up as he looks at me with a bright smile. The sky is a clear light blue with the sun shining in the middle of it.

"I didn't see you at Theo's ceremony." He says and I nod my head.

"I had exams," I explain and the man opens the black Mercedes' door for me. I sit in it and my uncle climbs in from the other side.

"I was surprised when Michael called and said he's sending you here alone, but you, my child, made a very good choice of coming here. Though why do you want to stay in the hotel? You can stay as long as you want in our house, we all would love to have you there." He says with a kind smile and the car sets on the road.

I smile back at him and say, "I know, that's very kind of you but I just want to feel like traveling." Nervously fidgeting with my fingers, I don't know if I make sense or not, I hope I do.

He just nods his head and chuckles at me, "Alright then, don't let your old uncle ruin your fun. Your hotel room is ready but you have to spend a night or two with us."

I smile at that and agree.

The rest of the ride is spent by small talks, the places I should visit, and in the end how college was and what my plans are.

We reach my uncle's hotel, the traffic considerably lighter than New York, or maybe it's just because it's ten in the morning.

We head to his workroom, so if I ever needed him I would know where to find him. In the end he says I must be jet-lagged and tells one of his employees to guide me to my room.

When I get to my room, my luggage is already placed in the middle of the spacious room. I let go of the breath I didn't know I was holding, and plop down on the bouncy bed.