If you're reading this, I am either in an airplane somewhere above the Midwest or stuck in Chicago if the weather is bad.
Scratch that. I wrote that last night, thinking I'd be really productive and get this written and scheduled to post. Clearly not the case.
Pro-Tip for Flying #1: Never assume anything.
Pro-Tip for Flying #2: Always over plan and show up at least an hour before you're even meant to board the plane.
Trust me. You'll thank me when you are sitting on your flight on time to your destination.
Now, ladies and gentlemen, I'll return you to your regularly scheduled rambling.
The Syracuse-Hancock International Airport isn't the largest airport I've ever been in, but it has a lot in common with the others I've visited.
Airports have always fascinated me. The first time I flew was my senior year for a class trip to Washington, D.C. and our return flight from New York City. I didn't think much of the experience at the time. Our teachers were bustling us through the airport, making sure all forty of us actually made it on the plane. But since then, I've flown more, and I've observed much more as well.
Once upon a time way back in high school, my drama teacher schooled us in the art of people watching. It was a basic drama class, so we were learning basic observation skills. One point always hit home: everyone has a story. You may not know the person, you may not see them for any more than a few seconds as they run past you, but they have a story. No place is this more true than an airport. An airport isn't like a coffee shop or a park; you don't go there just to be there. Everyone in an airport is there for a specific reason. Some are passengers, some are staff, some are only there to drop another person off, but everyone has a purpose.
After a while you start to recognize certain types of people in airports. The business types are easy to pick out, briefcases in hand, on their phones and usually looking a bit haggard or irritated. The sleep deprived parents are also easily spotted. Strollers nearby, or just follow the sound of cranky children. Coming or going, everyone has somewhere else they would rather be. Yes, some people will be rude and belligerent (stress does weird things to people, that's just a fact of life), but in my experience most are pretty calm and collected.
Pro-Tip for Flying #3: If you have time to spare and walk around, be aware of your surroundings. You may not be in a hurry, but the person sprinting behind you to catch their flight may be. Be courteous.
Pro-Tip for Flying #3B: Be nice to everyone, but especially the staff and crew members. Yes, that includes the TSA. They're just doing their jobs. Don't be a dick.
Even some of my most insane experiences in airports have been memorable. One of my most pleasant memories of flying happened in Chicago. It was Memorial Day, and I was flying to New York. I was moving to New York, practically alone because my husband was overseas. But I had graduated and was on my way. My connecting flight was in Chicago, and the flight from Chicago to Watertown got delayed enough that I had time to stop for lunch. It was a rough day honestly. When your husband is deployed and the airport plays Taps about every half hour it starts to get to you.
I went into a restaurant and was grabbing a table when a woman got my attention. She asked if I was eating alone, and when I said I was, she offered me a seat and asked me to join her. A glass of red wine in hand, she told me she didn't believe in eating alone when you can avoid it. The sentiment alone cheered me up and I joined her. We talked and had lunch, and while I don't remember all the details of the conversation, I remember having a genuinely pleasant experience. We shared stories. We had great conversation, and though I doubt I'll ever see her again it is a memory I won't forget.
Everyone has a story. As a writer, part of me watches and tries to think of those stories. But sometimes you're lucky enough to hear them. Either way, it makes airports all the more interesting to me.
And now, if you'll excuse me, I have a flight to board.
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