Dulles Airport was one of her favorite sights in the DC area. It was beautiful, with a long metal swoop that arched up toward the sky. She parked in the long-term garage, walked the long tunnel to the terminal, and checked in her bags. She expertly juggled her ticket, passport, and backpack through the long security line.

Once she was at the gate, she bought a coffee and magazines and waited until her row was called. When it was time, she boarded the aircraft and stowed her bag above her seat. She watched as the other passengers boarded the plane.

She imagined that the mom with the toddler in tow was headed to visit family back in Europe. The mom had married an American but now wanted to expose her son to the wonders of Belgium and the culture there.

The strong-shouldered man who walked by in a rumpled suit was an ex-football player turned salesman. He was under pressure to make a big sale to save his career and decided to tap the Belgian market. He was on his way to a big meeting that could be the make or break moment for his job.

Val thought that the small group of young ladies in yoga pants and messy buns were college students on their way to backpack in Europe for the summer. They would stay in hostels, drink too much beer, and have the experience of a lifetime.

She could imagine backstories for just about anyone, and she did just that while she waited for the doors of the plane to close. After the safety speech was given, the plane pushed back. Now it was time for the best moment of traveling.

Val had a smile on her face as the plane taxied down the runway, picking up speed until it was able to lift itself off the ground. Her stomach was pressed into the back of her seat until the wheels lifted from the ground and the plane took flight. There was nothing like the sensation of liftoff. She was flying! She was finally on her way to Africa.

The first flight was uneventful. Dinner was served. Drinks were offered. Val balled her jacket against the window and used it as a pillow. After a few hours of restless sleep, she gave up trying and watched a movie on the seatback entertainment system. Then breakfast was passed out and it was time to land. The plane touched down in Brussels, Belgium for a four-hour layover.

Val wandered out of the plane into the terminal. After getting herself together in a bathroom, she shouldered her backpack and walked along the concourse to see what was happening in the Brussels airport at 6 am. She found a duty-free shop and looked at the domestic and international goodies. A jar of speculoos, a peanut butter-like spread made from cookies, caught her eye. She had always wanted to try the trendy treat, but better judgment and thoughts of her waistline prevented her from taking the plunge. To hell with it, she thought. No better way to start a new adventure than with a new food.

After making her deliciously gluttonous purchase, she walked back toward her gate and found a Starbucks. With a grin on her face, she ordered a coffee and paid expensive European airport prices for it. She enjoyed each sip of her favorite beverage as she watched planes take off and land through the window. The hours passed quickly before it was time to wait at her gate to board her final flight. This one would take her directly to Kigali, Rwanda. Just one flight between her and this grand adventure. One flight between her and seeing Adam again.

The second flight was as easy as the first. Val loved flying. It was easily one of her favorite parts of traveling. The feelings of liftoff, the excitement of landing, the quiet time in between to read or watch movies. She didn’t even mind the overnight flights as she could usually catch a nap to help her power through.

During her second flight, Val let her mind wander to her situation with Adam and Jared. The two weeks she had been separated from Adam had cooled her hurt and anger at being left behind, but had it cooled her romantic feelings? And if she still had to question how she felt about Adam, what did that say about her feelings toward Jared? He wanted more than a friendship with her. Did she want that too?

She thought back to their relationship. It was a good couple of years. She and Jared met after college when she was just starting out in the working world. She was temping for a law firm where he was interning. They were both young and broke. They were only friends at first, hanging out and hunting down happy hours with free food. Then after a couple of years, they admitted that they both felt something more than friendship. They spent lots of time together, always had something to talk about, and looked forward to seeing each other.

Their relationship was easy and relaxed. While they didn’t have the same hobbies or interests, Jared’s laid-back personality meshed well with her opinionated self. If she had a craving for dinner, he would agree. If she wanted to pick out a new movie, he was happy to go along. Even their families approved. But was this easy life enough? Val had thought that she might need more than that. She wanted adventure and excitement. She broke it off with Jared, and that seemed fine, until he came back into her life. Was she truly missing him or was he a convenient excuse to not feel hurt by Adam? Would seeing Adam in person help her figure out her feelings for Jared?

Val was having a hard time seeing what she wanted her life to be like down the road. The interview question about what you see yourself doing in five years was always the hardest for Val. This was more than just choosing between Jared and Adam. She could choose neither. She could choose to keep searching for someone else. She was beginning to feel paralyzed by her choices.

Before she had a chance to make any headway on her predicament, the flight landed. She had arrived in Kigali.