An airport is a prime location for people-watching. I try to tell my children this, but they are perplexed. Apparently I've never exposed them to the concept of observing strangers for fun.
WHY is that woman in a down jacket? It's 110 outside! Maybe she flew in from... where is it cold right now?... Alaska? Maybe she flew in from Alaska en route to Antarctica and she won't step outside the airport so it's perfectly normal she'd be wearing goose feathers.
The air outside Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf is fragrant and happy.
The air around the gates where people are gathering to board is expectant and, oddly, a little stale. Air shouldn't be stale at an airport (of all places!) because people are moving! Traveling! Going places!
And there’s a Pokestop here. I’m out of Poke Balls and need to stock up before I get to Chicago-O’Hare where I anticipate finding all-new Pokemon. Of course, this could be like the ants in India. Shortly after arriving in India, I went for a walk around the retreat where I was staying and noticed ants on the ground. When I crouched down to get a closer look, they looked just like American ants. It was disappointing. I will feel let down unless I see new Pokemon in the Chicago airport.
Besides people-watching and air quality and Pokemon, we’re here for the take-offs and landings and historical sites and visiting far-away states and lands and climates. Which brings me to the next bit of advice for my kids: look out the airplane window! See those brown mountains? See those no trees? Pay attention! We will soon move over mountains and plains and trees will appear and there will be rivers and more trees and - more trees than you've ever seen. I think I'm doing this for the trees.
