Day 1 – The Journey Begins (April 3rd, 2026)
Friday morning felt different. There was a mix of excitement and nervous energy as our journey officially began. We had agreed to gather at campus at 8 a.m., but before that, I (Asyahrul) went to meet Avarel. There was a small but important problem I didn’t have a suitcase. Since only two of us, me and Ananta, had extra baggage allowance, I decided to place my belongings in Avarel’s suitcase. It was a simple solution, but somehow it made the trip feel even more real like we were already learning to rely on each other.
After everything was packed and settled, we headed to campus and waited for our departure to Juanda Airport, which was scheduled at 1 p.m. Our flight wasn’t until around 7:30 p.m., so we had plenty of time to prepare and check in. The waiting didn’t feel boring at all instead, it gave us time to relax and enjoy the moment together before everything got more intense.
While waiting to check in, I had a warm and comforting bowl of soto ayam with Pak Buyyun. Even better, he treated us to the meal. It was a small gesture, but it made the moment memorable good food, good company, and the feeling that something big was about to happen.
Soon after, we proceeded to check in for our flight from Juanda to Singapore. Our first airline was Scoot, and we spent about three hours in the air heading to Changi Airport. Honestly, Changi Airport was the best airport I had ever visited. It felt incredibly luxurious, with so many well-known global brands and a modern design that made everything look so impressive. Even though we were just in transit, the experience itself was unforgettable.
We didn’t have much time to explore, though. From our arrival gate, we had to walk around 15 minutes to reach the departure area for our next flight. Everything felt fast-paced, but still exciting. Soon, we boarded another Scoot flight, this time heading to Manila. This second flight was longer around four hours in the air.
When we finally arrived in Manila at around 6 a.m., we were already feeling exhausted, but the journey wasn’t over yet. We had to switch airlines to AirAsia for our final flight to Tacloban. After checking in again, we realized we had a long wait ahead more than 8 hours at the airport, since our next flight was scheduled for 2 p.m.
Time moved slowly, but we stayed patient. After what felt like a very long wait, we finally headed to the gate, boarded the plane, and continued our journey. The flight to Tacloban was the last stretch of a very long trip.
At around 3 p.m., we finally arrived in Tacloban.
And what we found there was…
....to be continued
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