The 7 best things about air travel (and hanging about for hours in airports)

Though I’m sleep deprived, sitting in an airport, and my flight doesn’t leave for another 4 hours, I’m still quite content. Here I will share with you just a little bunch of things that I like about airports, airplanes, and air travel in general.

1. People watching

My absolute favourite thing about hanging around in airports is just how many different types of people you can observe. From right now where I am sitting in São Paulo airport, I can see people of so many different ethnicities, ages, shapes, and sizes. I can hear people speaking different languages (it’s fun to eavesdrop!) Some are wearing comfy clothes and looking super laid back about everything, some are dressed up to the nines and strolling around as if they own the place (and as if it’s easy to stroll in 6 inch heels!) I enjoy being nosey and watching people go about their business, sometimes I daydream about their lives and sometimes I simply covet their accessories, it all depends, but in my opinion, it’s a really great way to pass the time. (I still haven’t spotted anyone with quite as much luggage as me though?)

2. An excuse to eat

Eating is also one of my all time favourite hobbies, people that know me will know that if I’m not eating, I’m either talking about food or thinking about my next meal, or both. So I really enjoy any excuse to eat guilt free, and I’ve convinced myself that a long wait in an airport is the best time to treat yourself to something yummy to eat and drink and feel completely justified. It's 10.30am and I just had a massive Crispy Chicken Supreme combo with Grape Juice at McDonald’s, normally super weird but I got up at 4am, and I’m in this airport for like 5 hours, so I totally deserve it. Plus, once I’ve wrote this I’m going to get an ice cream, and no one can stop me! Calories consumed in airports simply don’t count!

(*update: I didn’t just get an ice cream, oh no, I got an ice cream SUNDAE)

3. The excitement

Even though I feel like I’ve flown sooo many times now, I still manage to feel a little bit excited every time we take off, and I’ll always still marvel a bit at how amazing and beautiful everything looks from the sky. Maybe I’m just a big kid but I don’t think I will ever feel indifferent about seeing the candy floss clouds from above.

4. Time to write

Quite a few of my articles have been written in airports now. The spare time sitting around with only my laptop for company seems to have a way of making me reflect, and then write it all out. It’s very therapeutic!

5. Airplane Food

Yes, this one is food related too! But I really feel as though airplane food gets such a bad rep for no good reason. Personally I love the meals that are served on planes, I mean obviously they’re not exactly restaurant quality, but they are always enjoyable, and the fact that everything comes in little packets and boxes makes me feel like a child with a school lunch or a little Lunchables pack. It’s the highlight of my flight! (Especially those orange juices that come in a tiny tub, so cute!)

6. A chance for a good nap

On some flights there’s nothing better than just popping the ear plugs in, putting the eye mask on, and getting a good old nap. I will probably sleep with my mouth unattractively hanging open, and there’s a chance I may even snore a little, but I’ll never see these people again and, quite frankly, an opportunity for a mini-sleep is just too good to pass up on.

7. Possibilities

Okay, so I’ve never actually been to an airport and just spontaneously bought a plane ticket to a random place like it happens in some movies (Can that actually really happen though? How does that work?) Nevertheless, when I’m in the airport and see all the destinations on the boards, or when I’m in the plane gazing out at the runway, I get an intense sense of possibility, it reminds me that (provided we can save enough damn money obviously) the world is open; we can go almost anywhere, and that always makes me start to wonder about my next trip. Where will I go next? Who knows? I hope its somewhere exciting… and soon!