In my mere 20 years of life, I’ve been fortunate enough to experience quite a bit of travel. I’ve been on long international flights (the ones that give you personal TV’s loaded with movies and 2 free meals) as well as shorter domestic flights (aka, the ones where you have to ration your complimentary packet of peanuts to last for the entire duration of the flight). I grew up in airports and still feel a strong sense of peace whenever I’m in one, despite the high amount of stress that is typically associated with traveling. One of my favorite things to do from the moment I walk into an airport is to people watch; Ok, I like to stare at people (but not in a creepy way!). So, as I was waiting to board my plane to study abroad (s/o Sophie), I had 6 hours worth of people watching to do. And I came to the conclusion that no matter where you are in the world, these are the people that just always seem to be there... so buckle up your seat belts and let's (pun 100% intended) fly through this!
1. The Businessman.
A seasoned pro. His brown leather loafers give him great agility, allowing him to move through crowds with the kind of ease that you will never find yourself capable of. He is most likely talking on the phone – perhaps shouting – and pacing. He carries nothing more than a briefcase, since he’ll get off the plane, go straight to a meeting, and hop right on the next flight out.
2. The "Boujie" Lady.
For those of you don’t know, the term “boujie” is actually derived from “bourgeoisie,” which was used to describe the social-climbing Middle Class during the French Revolution. Essentially, this lady thinks she is waaayyy too cool for school. As if the clicking of her high-heeled boots weren’t enough to draw attention, she is one of the only people in the entire airport that is all done up. We’re talking full hair, makeup, and outfit here. She struts down the terminal with her sunglasses on and a tight grip on her Louis Vuitton luggage, complete with matching passport case, and makes eye contact with no one.
3. The Giant Family in Matching Shirts.
Not only do they cover a wide age range, but they also cover a wide area of space. Most of these groups do not appear to speak much English, but maybe that’s just my experience…
4. The Can’t-Be-Tamed-Kids (*cue the Miley Cyrus song*).
They have absolutely no chill. These are the siblings you see pushing each other down the terminal on a makeshift vessel that is typically their suitcase. You might find them testing their boundaries with their parents by purposefully wandering off to the shops and bagel kiosks. They might be bickering over who gets the window seat on the plane, drawing a scene. But it always ends with a lecture about proper airport etiquette.
5. The Screaming Babies
You make eye contact and it’s basically love at first sight. The baby smiles as you make silly faces in an attempt to establish an alliance, which you seem to do with ease. But just as you begin to gather up your things to exit the terminal, a sound worse than nails on a chalkboard breaks loose and can’t be contained. And guess what…as fate would have it, this baby is on your plane.
6. The Men & Women in Uniform
Thank you for your service, we love and appreciate you!
7. The Confused College Kids
Always at an outlet. Might be wandering aimlessly up and down the terminal, making sure they are in the right place at the right time (because the odds are, they aren't). Probably wearing sweatpants/leggings and a University t-shirt with sneakers and unkempt hair. Most likely on the phone with mom because they aren’t comfortable enough to navigate the trip on their own, keeping their headphones in even after the call so they can attempt to ignore everyone else.
8. The Runner
There’s always at least one. Maybe he hit traffic en route to the airport. Maybe her flight was delayed and now she might miss her connection (totally been there). Either way, you’ll see them pushing their way through the line for security before breaking into a sprint down to the terminal on the opposite end of where they currently are, because it just always seems to work out that way. Though you will never know if they actually made it on the flight they tried so hard to catch, cheering them on as they go is just as entertaining for them as it is for you. 10/10 would recommend you throw out some encouragement, as it is better to laugh with The Runner than at The Runner. Believe me, I would know.
So, next time you’re bored waiting for your flight, why not make a game out of it? See how many of these people you see in your airport. Try to catch ‘em all!
