Writing this, I’m on the last leg of a journey back to Quito. I made a quick trip to Minnesota to be a part of a close friend’s wedding. Now I’m waiting in the Miami airport for a few hours until my flight leaves for Quito.. My eyes are burning from rubbing them, with a few remaining crumbs from the Flaming Hot Cheetos on my fingers. The same fingers are stained a fiery orangey red color from the aforementioned cheetos. Although a short visit, I was able to spend time with many of my close friends in Minnesota. It was just a dabble of what I have to look forward this summer. Yet for today, I feel so happy to be going back to Ecuador.
With little else to occupy my time, I am a people watcher right now. Every gait different. Every person with a different sense of appropriate travel wear. Some people running to catch their flight, others meandering, because they have all the time in the world to wait for their departure. Some people arriving, others leaving. Some traveling in pairs, with family or friends, others alone. Me? Seated, taking 3 seats between my backpack, myself, and a pile of trash I’ve cleaned out… wearing a sun dress and heels… plans to explore the area shortly… traveling alone. With the exception of the vendors and the ticket counter workers, we all have the same purpose of cramming into a tight space to hurl ourselves through the sky at frightening speeds. Here is an observation I made today on my flight out of Minneapolis… while flying high up in the sky, the passenger is allowed to roam the cabin at ease, conversing with fellow passengers, walking the aisles for exercise, using the bathroom as needed. But once the plane has landed and is taxing at 20 mph up to the tunnel entrance of the airport, there are repeated reminders to keep passengers buckled in their seats, strictly reinforced until the plane has come to a complete stop and the captain has turned off the fasten your seatbelt light. Why is that? Although there are a few other recommendations I could make to the airport industry to boost my personal approval of it, regarding the lack of meal service coupled with outrageous food prices in the airport and the lack of free wireless in the airport, when it is provided on nearly every other corner in the city… overall I’ve found my flight experience to be very pleasant this trip and I look forward to flying back to Minnesota mid June.