Ode to the airport

A lot of people hate the actual act of traveling. They want to go places, but don't like how they have to get there. While I completely understand why- it's early, it's crowded, security is a hassle, places are a hassle, carrying bags through the airport is a hassle, etc.- I actually kind of like it. It helps that I haven't had a lot of bad experiences at airports that weren't directly linked to airlines themselves sucking, and anytime I've screwed up by missing a flight or whatever people have always helped me. But I get in an airport and feel a little accomplished. Out of habit I have a system for how I do things, which means I'm in and out of security in no time, I know where I'm going and what I need to emergency-buy at Hudson News (today, extra strength aspirin), and that means I kind of breeze through everything. It's nice when you get to that point.

And one of my favorite things in the world is when you get to be in a nearly-empty airport. This especially happened a lot when I was taking red eye flights from LA to Chicago or the East coast. I'd get in at 5 am and the place would be deserted. The restaurants and stores don't even open till 5. Most people haven't arrived for their early flights yet, so it's quiet. You can walk along huge corridors and not see anyone except the janitors and staff who are setting up for the day. You can be the only one getting on your transportation to wherever you're going. It's something I don't think a lot of people see, because they come when it's busy and loud and everyone's stressed. Too early or too late and people are too tired for stress.

Once I got off a plane super early and hadn't taken my headphones off yet. I still had music going while I walked through the airport with not really that many people around me at all. You know how in movies you'll have the main character doing a slow-mo walk with some badass song playing before they get to the big fight or whatever? It was like that, only my big fight was catching a cab, and my badass song was Frou Frou. Hey, guys, remember Frou Frou? Anyway, I can't hate anyplace that lets me feel as awesome as I did right then.

Currently I'm about ten minutes away from boarding a plane to see one of my favorite people in the world. It's still quiet at my gate, except for two women getting things settled at the desk and the guy next to me whose music is too loud through his headphones but it's also good music so I'm not complaining. I'm facing the window, watching them do inspections on the plane and watching the sun come up and the moon go down. I have some time to settle in and appreciate where I am and where I get to go.

Also I got to coo at a K9 dog without petting him so even if the rest of this day sucked, I can still be happy.