**This was written as the events were happening, so while the writing may at times be dramatic, the height of the moment called for me to write all my thoughts down to relax.**
We landed in Girona, Spain at midnight on March 2nd with our flight to Pisa, Italy leaving from the same airport at 6:40 am. I just bought a new book, a sandwich, and was ready to kick back and relax for a few overnight hours before the next leg of our journey began. Relaxing, however, was not in the cards for our overnight stay in the Girona Airport. We set up camp at some benches in front of the row of empty, darkened check-in desks, looking very eery without the bustle of commuters setting them to life. Short of 3 other people spread across the large check-in area and the occasional passing security guard, the place was dead. A ghost town more than an airport. I went to the bathroom to brush my teeth and splash some water on my face. I returned to our benches to find Devyn playing solitaire on her charging iPhone by a wall outlet off to the side. However, I found Morgan and Danielle sitting straight up with our bags gathered close to them. Another addition to our airport ghost town was a group of 4 guys in their early 20s sitting on the benches across from us, speaking in rapid Arabic. With a quick scan of the group, I noticed not one of them had a bag. First red flag. Morgan, who luckily can speak decent Arabic, had her ears tuned to the guys. As I sat down, she whispered to me, "Keep your stuff close." I raised my eyebrows to silently ask "What's going on?" Morgan quietly told me that the guys were discussing their plan to either jump us or wait for us to fall asleep and take what valuables we had on us. My heartbeat immediately began to quicken as I flashed a quick glance over at the group of guys. In the last few months of my study abroad experience, this was the first time I felt in legitimate danger. The feeling swelled inside me, like a kind of icy balloon, as the 4 guys moved to the group of benches directly behind us. My eyes immediately darted around the empty airport, finally locking on a 24-hour well-lit café in the back corner with a worker sitting behind the counter. Morgan must've had similar thoughts because she said, "I'm hungry, let's head to the café." Catching on, Danielle began to pack up her stuff. My heart continued to beat rapidly as I passed to 4 guys to get to Devyn. The hair stood on the back of my neck as I caught glimpses of them eyeing me up and down. Reaching Devyn, I casually suggested, "You hungry? I'm hungry. Let's go get a sandwich." "Nah, I'm good." I locked my gaze on her and a little more forcefully repeated, "I'm hungry, let's get a sandwich." She got the message.
12:45 A.M.
We all gathered around a table where I'm currently sitting and began writing my thoughts out to calm myself down. My mind immediately goes into complete code red. I look over my surroundings, laying eyes on a fire extinguisher on the wall and sharp metal napkin dispenser on our table. Seem good enough weapons as any if the guys were to storm around the corner and it came to a fight. Holy crap, am I really thinking like this right now? This is like something straight out of a movie. Danielle keeps noticing my eyes darting around, urging me to calm down. I begin to take a few deep breaths and feel my heart rate drop. To take every precaution I can, I take my debit, credit, and ID cards out of my wallet and put them in my left shoe, leaving nothing but some meaningless membership cards and 120 Moroccan dirham ($15 US dollars). If they end up taking my wallet, nothing would really be missed. I then proceed to put my passport in my right shoe. If a quick get-away needs to be made, I'd have all the important things. Now begins the waiting game.
1:15 A.M.
Their voices from around the corner have died down. With a quick peek around the corner, Devyn confirms that the guys have gone. I can breathe normally again.
1:45 A.M.
A movement in the corner of my eye catches my attention. Two of the guys have come back, now crossing in front of the café seating area to the bathrooms on the other side. With quick glances, I try to stay alert to them without letting on that I've noticed they're there. Security hasn't passed in a long time. Morgan mutters her suspicions on whether the guys might time their scheme with the changing of the security shifts. Great.
2:15 A.M.
Time seems to be moving about as fast as a handicapped snail. We see the full group of 4 guys pass right by us again as if they were a group of predators stalking some defenseless prey. Yeah good luck getting at me when I spray you with some fire extinguisher foam then smash the tank across your head. Damn, who do I think I am, Liam Neeson in Taken? I gotta just relax. But again, those hairs go up on the back of my neck and I know their eyes are locked on us as they pass to the bathroom. I hold my breath in apprehensive anticipation, ready to make a move if anything happens.
3:30 A.M.
A few early morning travelers begin to wander into the airport, grabbing coffee at the café and sitting around us. The girls are laying across the chairs having finally given in to the heaviness of their eyelids. Not me. Until I get on that plane to Italy, I will not go off high alert, despite having not seen the group of potential muggers for nearly an hour.
4:50 A.M.
More staff members for the café begin to arrive and prep food for the day ahead. Airline attendants begin to set up the check in desks. The colored alert bar in my head, no doubt implanted there from growing up post-9/11, begins to decrease from Red to Orange, eventually settling on Yellow, still an elevated risk, but breathing a lot easier. But I'm still counting down the minutes until our check-in time, when I can finally pass through security, board that plane, and give in to the sleep that has been creeping up on me for the last 4 hours.
6:00 A.M.
Sitting at our gate waiting to board the plane. I guess I can say that I'm proud of how we handled ourselves throughout the night. Being aware of a group without bags, Morgan saving our butts with her skills in Arabic, moving to a well-lit area where we had a café worker there to witness anything. We did damn good. So to my parents or Devyn's parents or any other adult out there concerned for our well-being, don't be worried and don't be scared. The night you just read about has already passed. And we got through it unharmed because of the common sense and quick thinking that you helped instill in us. So give yourselves a pat on the back. Me? After this hell of a night, the only reward I want is to get on this plane and allow my eyelids to close.
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