Why I Love Airports
This weekend, I fly out for my final travel of the year to Mexico City for the first time. It will also mark the 21st country I’ve visited.
I’m someone who loves traveling but avoids making plans. For example, I once booked my flight and accommodation to Chiang Mai, Thailand the night before my departure. My first moment in Rome after taking the train from the airport consisted of me wandering into the city and happily getting lost for two hours. While friends have told me that this way of traveling would stress them out, it’s led me to unexpected places and friendships.
While I usually pack the night before my flight, the pre-trip excitement usually hits me most when I'm on the way to the airport.
A lot of people hate that part of travel and even get anxious about it. Not me. It’s where everyone is going somewhere. It’s the official start of leaving where I am. It’s a huge reason I love the airport-centered films Up in the Air (2009) and The Terminal (2004).
During my last few trips, I started the tradition of arriving early enough to hit the airport bar for a few drinks before my flight. Yes, the drinks are overpriced, but I see it as a celebration of what’s to come and the real beginning of my holiday. One of my favorite memories came from that ritual: last year, while waiting to board a flight to Taiwan, I was having a beer at the LAX bar when I sparked up a conversation with the guy sitting next to me. He was on his way to India for the first time for business, and that immediately led to my favorite kind of talk: travel talk. We traded stories about past trips, business travel, and our upcoming destinations. After a few round of beers and a high-five goodbye, I unintentionally boarded my flight to Taiwan pretty tipsy, which conveniently helped me fall asleep almost instantly.
I have a tradition for the return experience too: one final meal in the visiting country’s airport. And while it is never the best meal of the trip, it always makes for a nice, bittersweet goodbye.
While I’m super excited to explore Mexico City for ten days starting this weekend—including daily travel blogging/journaling for the first time (!)—I’m also looking forward to returning to the airport bar this Saturday afternoon for that drink or two to kick off another new round of cultural experiences.