Notes on Returning No. 6
My love for airports will never cease. Funny, I don’t particularly love being in the air, but let me tell you… I love airports. I remember the first time I flew. We headed to Germany when I was 6 years old. I remember it was US Airways that flew us, and I was so excited. My little sister spent most of the trip asking my mom what if we all die or the plane crashed, but I sat there making a potholder with my new loom kit that I just got for Christmas. Since it was an overseas flight, each of us received our own little travel bag of toiletries. I cherished mine. Navy blue with a drawstring. It was filled with miniature sizes. When we landed, I thought it was heaven! We were on the other side of an ocean. That began my love of airports.
As I grew older and older, we flew so many different airlines. Each one had its own personality. We had leis when we landed in Hawaii, given to us, and fresh purple lilies when we landed in Thailand. I remember the airport in Taiwan felt like you were sitting in a jungle. All glass floor-to-ceiling windows and greenery on the other side. It was so lush. These are little moments over the years that stuck with me.
Now I arrive early to my flights. I oftentimes try to fly directly out of a hub or major city instead of lots of connecting flights. I’ve found it’s less stressful for me to drive a couple of hours to get to a larger airport than deal with tiny airports with fewer flights available. I also love walking around before my flight. One of the most updated and largest airports in Texas is George Bush Intercontinental. It’s a larger airport with tons of things to do while you await your plane. If something happens to your flight, simply grab dinner at one of the many restaurants or just get a good cup of coffee. I love being able to walk from terminal to terminal to see what they’ve updated. They also have a ton of artwork throughout the space and live concertists.
When I do sit down, I use that as an opportunity to catch up on the blog (like writing this particular note), do some sketching, reading or journaling. I recently grabbed this adorable kit for embroidery and am working on learning a new skill. Using the time to do activities like that instead of being on my phone allows my mind to feel at ease no matter how long the delay is or isn’t. There’s also just sitting and people watching. Everyone has so many different reasons to be at the airport, and they offer so much entertainment. There’s also the opportunity to watch aircraft take off and land. I spent a good amount of time in relationships with two pilots back in my 20s and 30s and learned so much about aircraft and what ti takes to get it ff the ground.
I went ahead and rounded up my flight essentials here for you. From clear pouches to earbuds - each piece offers a solution to put you at ease on your journey. Make sure the day before and morning of your flight to drink tons of water. Then, up up and away as you soar to new heights both literally and figuratively. For more travel essentials, make sure to check out my ShopMy page that includes capsule wardrobes!
