A party at the airport?

You are probably asking yourself why did I name this project The Airport Party, especially if you are one of the members of the large group of people who hates airports. To be honest with you, I never understood why people hate airports so much and I’m going to excuse myself on the traveling session to get a little blogger with my own perspectives. Hopefully, it will all make sense in the end 😉

Before writing this article, I did some research – as I always do – to try to figure out why people hate airports so much. Among the reasons, I found myself laughing about it. First, the laughing made me feel not so good about diminishing someone’s opinion, but it’s 2020 and after such a hard year we can be honest: nobody is that thoughtful. Besides, I laugh it off because it was so clear to me that the problem was never the airport, but how people react to whatever makes them run out of the perfect plan.

Okay, here is the deal: when you think about going to the airport, you are either going on a work trip (or work itself, but you got my point) or on vacation. I understand how frustrating can be to be at the airport when you are tired and not going to have a lot of fun. Like riding on the subway on a cloudy rainy morning with some creepy dude trying to approach you (happens more than all my ladies out there would like to admit). I also understand that when you are about to go on your vacation, there’s always the stress related to the rules of the airlines, the weight of carry-on, the strict schedule, bla bla bla. But if you have read what I said about traveling with your soul, you can probably see what’s coming.

I will start this with a confession. The first thing that excites me about traveling is going to the airport. A very close friend of mine recently told me that I’m a weirdo because I like airports (hey girl!). I found it a compliment. Ever since I was a young girl, I loved being at the airport. Even if I was just passing by one, I’d keep my head aiming to the clouds, to see some take-offs and landings. Weirdo and I like it. In the very philosophical aspect of the airports, this is the gate to places you always dreamt to be at, but I’m not going to give you this evasive speech.

Actually, what mesmerizes me about airports is the environment. I love to see different people, I get curious about their culture, their perspectives, the way they dress… And, of course, the stories not only the people at the airport have to tell, but the airport itself. I read a tacky quotation image not so long ago saying that the airport has seen thousands of kisses goodbye and welcoming hugs. Yeck – but truth. Those are not the stories I’m talking about, I’m actually referring to the real ones. That lady that works with the security surely has a good one to tell. The man wiping the floor as we go also has something amazing to share. Let’s not forget about the passengers, the cabin crew, the land crew… It’s a place full of life.

I know I am probably one of a smaller group of people who like to see airports as the beginning of an experience. I also know you might think I am crazy because I really want to go visit some of my favorite airports in the world (yeah, I will see the cities, but the main goal is the airports). If you ever met me at an airport, you will see someone with a huge smile on his face, observing everything around. The airport is an inspirational source to me, and it’s quite hard to get stressed at one because I have a better time enjoying the experience of it rather than letting myself get frustrated over things I cannot control.