Australia

So after having to ride in a 14 hour plane ride from Los Angeles to Sydney next to some white American couple, I had to wander around until I found out where I was supposed to go through immigration, and wait around, hoping that I had the right baggage claim area, to find my bag which I couldn't remember what it looked like. All of this was not helped by the fact that I was a "Young Person", not an "Unaccompanied Minor", which meant that I was not helped through the process by a Qantas Airline representative. I did meet Daria Clark, Tiana, and their parents, who were going to Sydney, and they provided someone to talk to during the long wait through the lines. After puzzling out which bag was mine,  I asked around for where to go, and was told to go out, but not out of the airport, otherwise I wouldn't be able to get back in. Very reassuring... So I follow their directions and am led to a place where I drop off my baggage and head to the bus that takes me to where the plane leaves. All the while I'm getting more and more nervous because my plane leaves in 10 minutes. While I'm in the bus, 5 minutes. when I get to the terminal, 3 minutes. I can't find my flight number on the gate list so I ask the man at the front counter. 2 minutes. He tells me that it's gate 9, at the very end of the long corridor. I run, my heavy backpack swaying and slowing me down. 1 MINUTE. I get to the gate and see an official looking man and woman closing the door. I curse silently to myself and put on a "young person in distress" face and politely ask whether the plane has left yet, and the woman says that they will start boarding in a minute or two. In response to the confusion/surprise/thankgodlook on my face, she shows that on my ticket, the plane BOARDS at 0800 hours, NOT leaves at 0800 hours. I step back, realize that the man is the captain and ask for a picture. He then replies that, if I'd like, I can wait until the end of the flight and have a picture with him and the copilot IN the cockpit. I say yeah, and sit down to wait until the plane boards. My boarding pass it beeped and I head into the plane