airport muse

in case you’re wondering what a girl does for two hours while her flight is delayed from LA to San Francisco:

She roams the candy aisle at the grab and go. Marvels at sour apple gummies in the shape of frogs. You can buy heavenly sours for $10.50, little candies in the shape of stars and crescent moons. Thank you sugafina. She will sit in six different terminals as a stowaway. Pretend she is departing to Dallas, Miami, Boston...oh wait the gate changed five minutes prior to boarding. Be right back! She will taste test three different coffee stands, is there really not a blue bottle here? She will find every window view and eavesdrop on business calls, family quarrels, and disgruntled pilot conversations. I just happened to be sitting back to back with the pilot of my plane at a different gate when he got the call about the delayed flight. Getting the inside scoop, regrettably, hours before my fellow passengers. She will write and write and write and remember why it’s so so lovely to travel alone. No arguments about gate changes, no waiting for each other by the water fountains, no “hurry up!” while she laces her shoes post TSA check. Autonomy is a little treasure found only in inconvenience, no longer comforting someone else for life’s unplanned changes. Pivot.