The lounge gradually grew quieter as more travelers disappeared toward their gates, but our group somehow remained just as loud as before.
58 minutes until boarding
Taeng stared at the departure board like it had personally betrayed him.
"I still can't believe we slept through an entire night and woke up in another country."
"Technically two countries," Chai corrected while stealing another pastry from the table.
"That's not helping."
Malai finally looked up from her phone.
"I checked the weather again."
Everyone immediately went silent.
"Why would you do that?"
"Because I wanted to know what kind of suffering awaits us."
Anamarija smiled innocently from her seat by the window.
"You'll survive."
"Easy for you to say," Taeng muttered. "You own actual winter clothes."
"I'll lend you a scarf."
"A scarf won't save me from one degree."
Chak, sitting beside me, quietly handed me a cup of coffee.
"You'll need this."
I accepted it with a small smile.
"Thanks."
He studied me for a moment.
"Did you sleep at all?"
"Somewhere between the movie and Chai's snoring."
Across the table, Chai looked offended.
"I do not snore."
Every single person around the table stared at him.
"You absolutely do," Kit said.
"I have video evidence," Taeng added.
"Delete it."
"Never."
Laughter spread around the table again.
After a while, Anamarija leaned back in her chair and looked at all of us carefully.
"Okay. I need to prepare you mentally for Slovenia."
"That sounds ominous," Torn said.
Anamarija ignored him.
"First: people may seem more reserved at first than in Thailand."
"So they won't immediately adopt us?" Chai asked.
"Probably not."
"Disappointing."
"Second: it will be colder than you expect."
"We know," Taeng groaned. "You've traumatized us already."
"Third: if I say 'this walk is short,' don't believe me."
"Finally, some useful information," Kit said.
Anamarija pointed at him.
"And fourth: if you fall in love with Slovenia, that's not my fault."
For a second, her voice sounded unexpectedly sincere.
I watched her quietly. There was a softness in her expression now whenever she talked about home.
Not nostalgia exactly.
Something deeper.
Like she was already imagining the places she wanted to show us.
Eventually, an announcement echoed through the lounge.
"Passengers for Ljubljana, please proceed to gate…"
Every head turned toward the screen.
And just like that, the mood shifted instantly.
Excitement.
Nervousness.
Anticipation.
Anamarija stood first.
"That's us."
Chai grabbed his bag dramatically.
"Europe, prepare yourself."
"That sentence worries me," Malai said.
Taeng wrapped his scarf around his neck like he was preparing for an Arctic expedition.
"I'm not taking any risks."
Kit looked at him.
"We haven't even landed yet."
"Psychological preparation."
Meanwhile, Chak picked up my carry-on before I could reach for it.
"I can carry my own bag," I protested automatically.
"I know."
He still didn't give it back.
I sighed softly but couldn't stop smiling.
Together, we left the lounge and joined the flow of passengers heading toward the gate.
Outside the terminal windows, another plane was already being prepared on the runway.
One more flight.
And then we would finally be in Slovenia.
The country Anamarija had spent years describing to us.
The country that was about to become real.
A few hours later, the atmosphere inside the cabin had changed completely.
The excitement that had carried us through Istanbul had slowly given way to quiet anticipation.
Most of the passengers were awake now.
Some were looking out the windows.
Others were gathering their belongings in advance.
And Anamarija?
She had been looking out the window for the last twenty minutes without saying much.
Which was unusual.
Very unusual.
The first rays of morning light were beginning to appear on the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold, orange, and soft pink.
The cabin remained dim, but outside...
Outside was beautiful.
A few moments later, the captain's voice echoed through the aircraft.
"Ladies and gentlemen, we have begun our descent. We will be landing shortly."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
Even Taeng sat up properly.
"Already?"
"Not already," Kit replied. "We've been traveling forever."
Chai was already leaning across the aisle trying to see through Kit's window.
"Move."
"No."
"Please."
"No."
Meanwhile, I looked out our own window and felt my breath catch.
Below us stretched a landscape unlike anything I was used to seeing.
Endless forests.
Large green fields divided into neat patterns.
Silver rivers winding through valleys.
Small villages scattered between hills.
And in the distance—
The mountains.
Massive.
Beautiful.
The peaks of the Alps rose above the landscape, touched by the golden light of sunrise.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Even our group fell silent.
Because honestly...
There was nothing to say.
The view spoke for itself.
I glanced toward Anamarija.
Her eyes were fixed outside.
Watching.
Home.
A small smile appeared on my face.
Then quietly, so only she could hear, I said,
"Welcome home."
For a second, she didn't answer.
I wasn't even sure she'd heard me.
Then her smile widened slightly.
And her eyes became suspiciously shiny.
"Thank you," she whispered.
Across the aisle, Malai suddenly gasped.
"Oh my God."
Everyone immediately looked toward her.
"Look at that."
She pointed outside.
The sunlight was now spilling across the landscape, turning rivers into ribbons of gold and lighting the forests in warm morning colors.
Torn pressed closer to the window.
"Okay."
He paused.
"That's actually incredible."
"Actually?" Anamarija repeated.
"I mean..."
He looked outside again.
"...you may have undersold it."
That earned a laugh from her.
Meanwhile, Chai had finally managed to secure a window view.
His reaction was immediate.
"WHY ARE THERE SO MANY TREES?"
The entire row burst out laughing.
Anamarija looked offended.
"We like nature."
"There are forests everywhere."
"Exactly."
Taeng was already taking pictures.
"Nobody warned me Europe would look like a fantasy movie."
Kit looked outside thoughtfully.
"The mountains are impressive."
"Impressive?" Taeng repeated. "Those mountains look like somebody generated them with special effects."
Even Chak seemed captivated.
His attention stayed fixed on the landscape below.
No phone.
No laptop.
No work.
Just watching.
And somehow, seeing him like that made me smile.
For once, he looked completely free.
No media.
No security team surrounding him.
No endless meetings.
Just Chak.
Watching the sunrise over a country he'd never seen before.
The plane continued descending.
The villages became clearer.
Roads appeared between fields.
Rivers reflected the morning sun.
And the Alps stood proudly in the distance like guardians welcoming us into the country.
Anamarija looked around at all of us then.
At Malai.
At Chai.
At Torn.
At Kit.
At Taeng.
At Chak.
And finally at me.
Every single one of us was staring out the windows.
Completely captivated.
A smile slowly spread across her face.
"You haven't even left the plane yet."
She laughed softly.
"And you're already in love with Slovenia."
The worst part?
She was absolutely right.
The closer we got to the ground, the more details appeared.
Small red-roofed houses.
Church towers rising above villages.
Roads winding through green hills.
Fields painted in different shades of green and gold.
The morning sun continued climbing higher, covering everything in warm light.
Honestly, it looked unreal.
Like somebody had taken a postcard and turned it into a real country.
The wheels eventually lowered beneath the aircraft.
A few moments later, the runway appeared below us.
Everyone instinctively grew quieter.
Then—
Touchdown.
The plane landed smoothly.
A soft round of applause immediately broke out from somewhere behind us.
Chai joined in without hesitation.
Taeng looked at him.
"Did you just clap?"
"We landed."
"That's what planes are supposed to do."
"I'm supporting the pilot emotionally."
Kit rubbed his forehead.
Meanwhile, I looked toward Anamarija.
She was still staring out the window.
Not speaking.
Just watching.
Something about her expression felt different now.
Softer.
Almost emotional.
Then she let out a slow breath.
"We're home."
For the first time since I'd met her, there wasn't a hint of uncertainty in her voice.
Only certainty.
Only belonging.
The aircraft slowly taxied toward the terminal.
Outside, airport vehicles moved between planes while the mountains remained visible in the distance.
Malai immediately grabbed her phone.
"I'm taking pictures before we even leave the plane."
"You have a problem," Chai informed her.
"So do you."
"Fair."
The seatbelt sign eventually switched off.
Instant chaos.
Everyone stood up at the same time.
Overhead compartments opened.
Bags appeared.
Taeng somehow got tangled in his jacket.
Torn laughed at him.
Kit refused to help.
Normal group behavior.
Chak calmly reached for our bags before I could.
"Chak."
"No."
"I didn't even say anything."
"You were about to."
Unfortunately, he was right.
A few minutes later, we stepped off the aircraft.
The moment we entered the jet bridge, cool air greeted us.
Not freezing.
But definitely cooler than Thailand.
Immediately, Chai stopped walking.
"Oh."
Anamarija looked over her shoulder.
"What?"
"It's real."
"What is?"
"The cold."
Anamarija burst out laughing.
"I warned you."
Taeng zipped his jacket higher.
"I owe you an apology."
"I know."
"You were right."
"I know."
"Stop enjoying this."
"I'm not."
She absolutely was.
The moment we entered the terminal building, everyone immediately started looking around.
Compared to Bangkok, everything felt quieter.
Smaller.
Calmer.
And somehow more relaxed.
Malai looked around curiously.
"It's so different."
"It is," Anamarija agreed.
Then her smile widened.
"And this is just the airport."
That immediately got everyone's attention.
"What do you mean just the airport?" Chai asked.
Anamarija picked up her bag.
"Wait until you see the rest."
A dangerous amount of excitement entered her voice.
The same excitement she'd had every time she talked about Slovenia.
Only now she wasn't telling stories anymore.
Now she could actually show us.
As we followed the signs toward passport control, I noticed Chak looking around quietly.
Taking everything in.
No cameras chasing him.
No crowds recognizing him.
No reporters.
Just another traveler arriving in a foreign country.
When he noticed me looking at him, he smiled slightly.
"You're smiling."
"So are you."
His smile grew a little.
"Maybe."
Ahead of us, Anamarija suddenly spread her arms dramatically while walking backward.
"Welcome to Slovenia, everyone."
Immediately, Chai pointed at her.
"If we get lost, it's your fault."
"If you get lost, that's a personal achievement."
"Encouraging."
Anamarija laughed.
And surrounded by laughter, rolling suitcases, and the excitement of a new adventure, we followed her deeper into the airport and into the country she had spent years calling home.