If you’ve ever had to fly in an airplane before, there is a very good chance that you’ve experienced the joy of an airport. I have done my fair share of flying, and I have been to many airports across North America, and a few in Europe as well. I have to admit, as much as I appreciate the fact that I live in a time where air travel is not only possible but very safe and usually reliable, I am NOT a fan of the airport experience. I am an anxious person just in my natural resting state, so entering any area that is teeming with anxiety-inducing obstacles is not that fun for me. Flying anywhere, even if it’s a relatively short domestic flight, is a pretty big hassle. Also, quick side note, I am acutely aware of how privileged I sound right now. That fact is not lost on me. But I don’t know, I’m gonna proceed with writing this article under the assumption that whoever is reading this won’t be terribly offended if I talk about airport culture for 400 words.
Great, now that that’s taken care of, let’s get back to AIRPORTS. I feel like the second you step into an airport, the tension in the air suddenly becomes palpable. People around you are either dressed super formal or way too casual–you’ve got a guy in an almost-tux toting around an Italian brown leather briefcase speaking into his apple watch or something dumb like that, and next to him you’ve got another guy who looks like he did absolute nothing else besides roll of out of bed and come to the airport in his perfectly preserved sleep-state, he doesn’t even have any bags or anything, he’s just a potential airport vagabond. People often compare airports to liminal spaces, and I for the most part agree with that. They exist outside of our normal reality; time is not real in an airport. They’ve got the same vibe as a windowless casino designed to keep you trapped in an endless gambling loop, only it’s an airport, and you can get yourself a beer at 8 am if you feel so inclined. There are also so many different facets of any typical airport experience. First, you check the bags, then you go through security, and sometimes customs depending on where you’re going. And usually all of this is happening under a ticking time limit!
Anyway, I know that some people actually love airports. I think those people are a little bit crazy, but that’s just me.