Since I was a child I have loved airports. To me, airports represented freedom in a pure form. Growing up in Hungary in the 70s and 80s, most of us could only dream about getting on a plane and see the world. The closest to be around a plane was to go to the airport and watch them take off.
Fast forward a couple of decades and I can say, I have been lucky to be at many airports around the world. I love the organized chaos, the streaming flow of people, even the security checks. The airport is a reflection of the world.
I like to observe, take in the non verbal information people give out. There are distinct differences if you are at arrivals or departures. I was picking up my Mom couple of months ago, and while I had to wait for her over an hour, I had the chance to study the people around me.
It was obvious, Arrivals are a happy place to be. You could feel the anticipation, the excitement. Little kids were anxiously awaiting the arrival of grandparents whom they may have never met before. Wives waiting for husbands, and parents waiting for their adult children to come home at last. Loved the hugging scenes, the flowers and balloons, the pure joy I saw on people's faces. I was no exception, when I saw my Mom I ran and hugged her tight.
Arrivals is a re-unification place, where miracles happen. So, next time you go to the airport; just look around you and see the smiles, the tears and hugs.
If you have a great Arrivals story, please share it with me!
