I love being at this place, the airport. Some people hate the airport but I love it. I love seeing people from all over in one place. I love watching parents try to hear all their kids make it to the gate. I love seeing people excited about where they are going to go. 

Hustle. Excitement. Busy. All things to describe how people in the airport are moving. Some have loved ones to get home to, a beach to lay on, or work to do, all of them have found their place at the gate and are texting and calling people as they drink their morning pick-me-up coffee.

“Why isn’t my bag here!” someone yells to the gate agent, “sir, we are trying our best, please be patient,” as they try to calm down the angry customer. I hear happiness and sadness fill the terminal. I wonder what is so important in that suitcase that you can’t go buy. 

I love this place so much, I thought. I get to my gate as early as possible to see the flight prior to mine unloading, watch the kids run out, the grandparents get wheeled out, and the pilot strutting down the jet bridge. I set down my suitcase with my dad and head over to the terminal Starbucks, something needed for this flight. I get the big size with the straw so I have something to chew on for the time being, I don’t want to waste my phone battery before I board the flight. In the D terminal at MKE I found my seat, a perfect view of the whole thing. I always end up in this terminal I think, and always have to walk the entire length of the terminal to get to my gate. I sit there and wonder about how the flight is going to be, about the humidity that will hit me as I deboard in my new destination, getting more and more excited. 

I get into “airport mode” ready to move if someone needs my seat, jump into the line to get onto the plane, and make a sprint for the bathroom as soon as my drink is done. The airplane snacks are brought out even though we are not even on the flights, we chew on the Swedish Fish and munch on the pretzels filled with peanut butter. 

I get up and start doing my paces up and down the terminals. Wondering why would people want tourist merch from here? I never understood why people would want to come here. I look at all the overpriced water and snacks for sale and watch unprepared people buy all of it.