I always thought that airports would play a much larger role in my life than they have, much like I did when it came to the Bermuda Triangle. Was anyone else overly concerned about the Bermuda Triangle around the age of 7 or 8? I was terrified I’d fly over it or go on a cruise and BOOM disappear. Why aren’t we still concerned with that? I digress, my point is that when I was younger I thought that airports and airplanes would be a huge thing in my life.

Who can blame me though, right? We watch movies and television shows where in the airport there are pivotal moments. Tearful goodbyes, declarations of love, and huge over the top reunions. We read in books about how sitting on the plane there was this moment of clarity, some great life altering moment where everything clicks and all the fear or doubt fades away. Then there is this whole aspect of travel. How travel changes your being and your outlook and how it is immensely important that one travels in life.

The closest thing I’ve had to a life altering moment on a plane was when I was “that person”. I had recently ended my relationship and been working nonstop. I was flying late at night, after working a close then double and then open shift, and I was on my way to Tampa to be with my Aunt while she had an ICD placed. I was overly exhausted and experiencing emotional overload. Well fast forward to my point. There I was traveling alone and I decided to watch a movie on the plane. I watched Table 19. It’s a good romantic life lesson type of movie. It had its happy, funny, shocking and sad moments. Well there was a moment when the couple it was focused on had this emotional fight turned reunion. In that moment I realized that my weak hope of my ex ever “coming around” to being an adult was null and void. I wept. I balled my freaking eyes out. I cried for feeling like I had wasted the last 4 years of my life and for being naive enough to think that movie actually would be something that happened in real life. Y’all, the poor teenage girls sitting next to me thought I was a psycho. Other than sitting next to a screaming child or a Bonnie Raitt fan that “toured with her” and gave me a lifetime of meaningless knowledge about Bonnie Raitt, absolutely nothing profound has happened to me on an airplane. I’ve never been in a life saving experience, like Greys anatomy, or realized that I was deeply in love with some like Rachel in friends. I mean she got off the freaking plane for Ross. Instead my time on planes have been meh. I’m typically reading or busy watching my friend Jes sleep with her mouth open 🤣. Love you Jes!

I’ve never had a tearful heart wrenching goodbye or a beautiful run and jump into one another’s arms kind of reunion in an airport. Instead I’ve been that girl who didn’t have a napkin and licked chocolate off of her phone screen while waiting to board the plane. I really have no shame, that’s kind of endearing right? In September I purposely chose to fly home hours later than my friends. One it was cheaper and I’m a cheap ass. Two I thought a little quiet time after a bachelorette weekend would be nice. And three I hoped I would have some life altering moment. Instead I sat looking out the window at the runway contemplating my life. I sat there and cried silently over my medical saga and my current state of affairs. The only significant thing that happened that day was I realized airports, air planes and air travel had not lived up to the hype. I also didn’t throw up from my hangover so it was a semi successful day.

I haven’t traveled nearly as much as I’ve envisioned for myself. I had big plans to see the world and to keep my mind open to new experiences, different cultures, and all the things that I could learn from. I’ve traveled more than others, yes, but not near as much as one should. The world is a scary and beautiful place with the knowledge that can help everyone find what they’re searching for in life. I’ve been far too boring this past decade and have not explored enough. Maybe it’s because I am overly excited about my upcoming trip to Hawaii or because I recently watched Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love, but that wanderlust that’s ingrained in my soul is yearning to be unleashed. Maybe my goal for my 30th year should be to just say, “Screw it, let’s do this” and cross off some of these places on my must-see list. Maybe then I will have one of those climactic moments on a plane or in an airport. Something to live up to the hype I developed in my childhood. Maybe I’ll be like Kate Hudson in Almost Famous. That realization on the plane that changes everything and sets in motion bigger things leading to that window seat to Morocco. (If you don’t understand the almost famous reference we can’t be friends, I’m sorry.) Anything has to be better than sitting on the tarmac for 3 hours learning about Bonnie Raitt…right?!