Airports

It’s so exciting when you first meet them. You feel anxious and curious about what is happening: the idea of getting up in the air, to go probably further than ever before, eating that food that everyone has such a strong opinion on! And there they are, not only watching how silly you may look like, but also being your gate to that whole new experience and asking you to keep moving on.

If your path crosses theirs again, you will get to know them better. Probably less excited to see them again, but also less afraid of them. You learn how to sort out the lines, where is baggage claim, switching terminals, where to find decent food and restrooms. You learn how to move fast so they don’t even get the chance to ask you to do so.

You get confidence and lose respect for them. You won’t let them getting on your way to that next long planned vacation, business trip, important event or family visit. That trip is your special moment, so in order to enjoy it and embrace it, you will barely interact with them, will follow the instructions and move on. See you next time.

But long distances shall not be underestimated. Sometimes, there is no planned round trip, just a one way ticket and the uncertainty of when — if ever — will that long distance be covered again. So you will meet them one more time, but in that visit, your confidence might get overshadowed by the emotions of an end and a new beginning. They, as usual, will not care much about it, will make you feel not too cold not too warm, like in the middle of all worlds and, even though they witness goodbyes every day, they will ignore what you are going through, because even if they could opt into having feelings, they would probably look at you, tell you that is for weak humans and ask you to keep moving on.

We were five in there today. One too young to understand what was going on, the rest of us made it quick, we knew what we had to do… keep moving on.