When traveling I have found that just being at the airport is an experience all it’s own. The sights, the sounds and the hassles are like none that you will experience any where else in the world. You get to take your shoes off and run around barefoot…where MILLIONS of others have done the same. Can you just imagine what kind of germs and diseases you are stepping on? Yeah, comforting thought.

Then there are the people. They come from all walks of life. Every nationality, gender, social class and preference that you can imagine is represented at the airport. They all dress differently, act differently and react differently to all of the situations that present themselves at the airport.

Then there are the languages that people speak. One poor lady left her bag sitting in her chair while she went to the restroom…well folks, that is a HUGE no-no in today’s time. To make matters worse she didn’t speak English and it took forever for the gate attendants to figure out what language she did speak much less find someone to interpret. Then a lady got off the plane at the gate where I was to board, she didn’t speak English, couldn’t find her boarding pass and everyone was in an uproar as to what to do about her. That was the only time that I saw one of the Gate Attendants get ugly…and it was just one in particular. I felt so bad for the little lady. She was confused and scared and no one could understand her and then a gate attendant starts yelling at her and shoving papers in her face like that is going to help the situation. Maybe they need a better document management system that tracks people that speak a different language so that they know where they are going, where they came from, etc.

I don’t think I could work at the airport.  They have to repeat themselves hundreds of times a day.  Over and over and over again. They have to put up with a lot of crap from irate passengers that are irate mostly because of their own doing. Most of the employees in the airport do a wonderful job, maintaining their composure, smiling, and being all around pleasant. There are those that are grumpy and short with the travelers. And then there are those that make you feel like you are family and go out of their way to do whatever they can to help make your travel experience nothing but pleasant.

As my flight was called to start boarding, the gate attendant that I always saw go out of her way to help everyone looked at my seating assignment and decided that she was going to help me out by moving me 20 rows closer to the front of the plane. I LOVE that gate attendant for doing that for me. Cause let me tell ya, if she hadn’t of done that, I would have been in the back of the plane in the middle of a large group of teenagers suffering through the whole flight.

Approaching New York. Can you spot the Statue of Liberty? It was really foggy, or smoggy that day so that picture isn’t very clear but you should be able to see it. And that was the roughest landing I have ever experienced. From the sounds inside the plane you would have thought you were on a roller coaster. Yes, it was seriously that bad. I think it got lots of people concerned enough to bow their heads.

Once I was finally on solid ground and had made my way through the airport to baggage claim, I saw this guy:

This just made my day. And then when he grabbed my bag and opened every door, I was in love. I know that is part of his job, but it means something to me. And I bet it makes his Momma proud to know that he treats ladies with respect and chivalry.