April 11th, 2013
Sitting at Gate 32 of MCO at four in the afternoon is an
experience that teeters between intrinsically meditative and subtly aggravating
to a point of devastation. The seating and carpeting is decked in an outdated
hunter green and the terminal is only peppered with a handful of single people
preparing to board flights, so my surroundings consist of only minimal
activity; people watching is not at its peak.
On top of this, my subtle aggravation is due to lack of
internet and the not-so-pleasant surprise of being charged fifty dollars for my
carry-on luggage. This is the first and last time I don’t fly with Delta.
My first thoughts, once I realized that all other find
internet seeking efforts had become futile, were my god…this place is desolate. Why on earth do we ever succumb to this
environment? I have a short list of odd pet peeves that cause me to short
circuit, but they include being bored, ugly carpeting, and having to be
anywhere that I view as a cesspool of germs—which includes most modes of public
transit, my own bedroom, and Chuck E. Cheese.
A bit dramatic, I know—but seriously, all aesthetics were
displeasing: the food, the smell, even the carpeting. All I could was buy
cheetos and coke (except for not because I’m trying to eat better), and stare
outside… except there weren’t even planes to stare at outside the windows.
At this point, my flight has just been delayed which
peeves me because I had a bus to catch to my cousin’s house that leaves only 20
minutes after I land. But if anything, I am welcoming this opportunity to test
my patience. I will simply accept my setbacks with as much grace as possible
and gain wisdom from my mistakes.
I think we can all agree that being stuck or waiting at
an airport isn’t all that bad as long as there is Internet… but what if there
isn’t? What on earth do you do?
Here are my suggestions:
1.
Keep and bring a journal.
a.
Traveling is always an exciting experience. Take
this time to be introspective and write down your thoughts about the trip you are
either about to embark on or have just completed. You can’t put a price on
experience, so record it while it’s still fresh in your mind.
b.
The great part about this suggestion is that you
can literally journal on anything: a notebook (the one with paper and lines),
your other notebook (known as a laptop), a napkin—anything.
2.
Bring a book.
a.
Why don’t we read anymore? It’s a sad thought
sometimes.
b.
I think almost every airport has a place to buy
a book. Or at least a newspaper. When was the last time you read something that
wasn’t a Facebook status?
3.
Put your MP3 player on shuffle
a.
It will tickle your nostalgic side to hear a
song you haven’t heard in quite a while. Sit back, relax, and listen to the
surprises that play through your headphones.
4.
Strike up a conversation with a stranger.
a.
It’s amazing what you’ll learn. It’s also good
to do so before boarding your plane because then you’re not required to talk to
this person during the entire flight when all you want to keep keep to yourself
and snack on your complimentary peanuts.
b.
I’ve personally learned a lot while traveling by
forcing myself to stop being a scrooge and just talk to the people who are
trying to be friendly. I feel that this is an art of conversation that is
rapidly fading away, so help revive it! These quick conversations have provided
me with people to visit when I’m in their neck of the woods, and even find
internships. Seriously, I landed an internship talking to a stranger every
morning that I ran into getting coffee before work.
Or you know… you could always start and maintain a blog.
It definitely helps pass my time.
The moral of my story: these are best moments to try
and/or learn something new. I think some of these tiny moments have even
altered my life a bit: one of these moments landed me an internship and another
on has helped paved my way to moving to France in the next four months. Wouldn’t
you like to see what it does for you?
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