And then, You just need to go out

I started my ex-pat life in Ireland a few months ago. It was my first trip since the COVID 19 outbreak; the last country I visited was Guyana in February 2020 previous to the outbreak.

I went to Guyana to give some training on Incident Response provided by the Organization of American States (OAS) and to support the mission there.

There is no such thing as complete preparation. Don’t get me wrong, preparation is very important, I’m an advocate to get prepared and be honest with myself, I think that attribute has helped me to grow in my personal and professional life.

But the point I want to make is that when you relocate to another country, there are so many things to take into consideration. Yes, I had a long-standing checklist of things to get done before and after traveling; I did my research on how to survive, the advice on public transportation, and how to live frugally.

So I arrived at Dublin International Airport, picked up my luggage, and move ahead. The first thing I tried to do after passing through customs was to find some help. I saw the help counter inside the airport but it was empty. I needed some guidance on how to call a taxi (Yes, I forgot to do proper research on how to book a taxi in Dublin).

My concern was the luggage, I was traveling with 3 large suitcases and a backpack and it was hard to move. Then, I waited and waited and waited. Interestingly, I was not willing to go out of the airport, maybe it was the concern of the heavy luggage; maybe it was the comfort inside the airport, so I walked and tried to get some help, but everybody was too busy.

Last resort, I saw a man who worked at the rental car, so I approached and asked how I could ask for help picking up a taxi. He smiled and replied with a weird accent: Why don’t you go out? — He explained, taxis arrived just there.

Going out was the right thing to do (and probably the obvious thing to do) but there was something that was not allowing me to see it. I walked away and saw the line of people waiting for the taxi, five minutes later, I was heading to the hotel, half of the problems have been sorted.

I’m sitting and reflecting on that experience from that day. Sometimes it is that you need to move out of your comfort zone, and feel uncomfortable moving. Obstacles? yes always.

At the airport, I focused my approach on the problems and convictions that the luggage was heavy and uneasy to carry on to start finding different solutions. I was blocked by the problem. A few weeks later, I had the opportunity to put my thoughts in order and do some thinking on that particular case.

So next time, maybe the solution to the problem is just going out.