Danish Endurance Saved Me from a Stressful Airport Check

This is a travelogue! 🔗 If you want, head directly to the photo gallery.

View into a side street on King’s Cross Road coming from the hostel (Clink78) in direction to the train station.

Imagine you have a trip coming up. A long weekend trip abroad that you’re looking forward to, but you don’t put much energy into planning because there’s so much going on at work and in your personal life. When you arrive, you think about what you are going to do there. There is no time before. There is no need before. You enjoy the weightlessness of not having planned anything yet.

Shortly after your regular working day, you will leave. On the weekends before, there was no time to pack. During the week there was so much to do, both at work and privately, that you didn’t have time to pack until the evening before your departure.

Leaving Right After Work, the Same Day, Was Liberating

By Wednesday evening, everything was packed except for the clear zip-lock bag for my cosmetics, which I need to get through security. I didn’t have a bag, though, so I planned to buy it the next day in the morning or between work and departure. I didn’t realize how utopian it was to go to the supermarket in the morning or before departure.

On Thursday, around lunchtime, I realized that there wasn’t enough time to buy a zip bag. I had to go straight to the station to catch my train to the airport. I thought, well, let’s find a bag at the airport. Which stressed me out because I wasn’t sure I’d find a bag in time. And I didn’t want to have to buy my cosmetics again after the security check.

A Banality That Commenced the Pleasant Tone of the Journey

But things turned out differently. When I got home, I took the mail out of the letterbox and ripped open a package in a hurry. It was three pairs of black Danish Endurance underpants. It was then that I remembered that I had ordered them. (Danish Endurance is one of those no-name brands I’d never heard of before ordering. #noad)

By chance – and when does that happen? – these briefs arrived in a resealable zip bag! 😮 I could hardly believe my eyes. I put my cosmetics in it and packed the rest before going to the station. Wonderful.

Wrong Codes for the Apartment

From the window of my apartment after I got the upgrade.

After landing at Stansted and catching the National Express to London Liverpool Street, I enjoyed my freedom and the length of the day for about a quarter of an hour before heading to my shared flat. The code for the main door worked fine, but I couldn’t unlock the apartment’s combination lock.

Damn.

I had booked a room in a shared flat. As my code wasn’t working, I tried to reach the landlord at night and luckily I did. After a few attempts to unlock the door, it still wouldn’t open. Without further ado, he asked me to go upstairs and try a different combination of numbers for another apartment. It worked. I was relieved, nothing would get in the way of my sleep. And – I had the flat to myself. After a brief panic over the door problem, one floor below me spread joy and relaxation.

As I lay in bed, I looked forward to the days ahead and, above all, how well I would get through the long day. I had worked the morning before, although it felt like the day before. It’s nice to know that I can find enough resources for a trip like this – including the excitement, of course – without breaking down. I can even enjoy it.

Reunion Far From the Mainland

The aim of the trip was not only to discover the less touristy corners of London, or to neglect the more familiar sights, but also to meet up (again) with two friends. We reunited and said goodbye on non-continental soil. What amusing circumstances.

The tour was led by Niklas, who skillfully showed us the best parts of London. Second in command was Elisabeth, who suggested routes and places to visit. I had very few expectations of the trip, other than to drift around the city and relax. And, of course, always looking for motifs to photograph. Beer from local breweries included.

Our desire was to see as much as possible, so we only visited Tate Modern without going to an exhibition. The time we could spend on the streets was too precious for that.

Big cities are not my thing. However, I really enjoyed London. Especially after visiting at least one supermarket every day, stopping at a Pret a Manger far too often, visiting several markets and experiencing various pubs in the evenings. Local breweries included.

We just had a good time. If we wanted to talk, we talked. When we wanted to be quiet, we were quiet. Travelling in groups of three can have its drawbacks, and we weren’t entirely sure beforehand that this arrangement would work for all of us. So it was particularly nice to see that everyone was able to get their needs met and that we were able to respond equally to each need.

The Bumpy Road of Learning to Live Life in the Here and Now

Living in the moment is not easy for me.

It’s not just the things that have to be done, that are buzzing around in my head, that weigh me down. Or making it difficult for me to live in the moment. I have a kind of restless undertone that I can rarely get rid of. It often makes me feel burdened and unfree. My ex-girlfriend felt this strongly, even friends from time to time.

Sometimes I manage to release my tension. In these moments, I forget all the inner and outer fears and constraints that weigh me down. I become one with myself and am satisfied with myself and the situation. Then I am truly in contact with myself.

These three moments were calming and freed me a little. I am building them as another brick in my house of inner contentment. Right now, I am probably on the first floor.

Especially in one of these three moments, I was aware of my emotional state. I could feel it clearly, and I tried to absorb it. How it feels to be liberated. I captured the feeling and can still remember it in writing. Not as intense as in the moment of experience, of course. And at the moment I can’t just put this feeling on like a jacket. But at least I know what that jacket felt like. How the fabric adapted to my skin and how comfortable I felt.

I’m looking forward to more moments like that.