Moments: Airports & The In-Betweens

Lately, I’ve been traveling a lot, it really reminds me of 2007 in both good and bad ways. During these trips, I enjoy people watching travelers as they eat their shitty airport meals and sleep on the multitude of uncomfortable benches or sitting at the airport bar watching a game. These are the in-between moments, normally the lackluster, but something happened at the airport in Chicago that inspired me to create a new “category” of posts that I’d like to call “Moments”, totally reusing branding of something else, but I feel like it fits.

We interact with people on a daily basis but we don’t get a chance to capture that feeling of connecting with someone randomly while on a journey and then it’s forgotten in the shuffle of daily life. Here’s to seeing if I can keep this featurette going, I kind of failed with my 20 things a day and Share Something attempts a couple years ago.


Was just dropped off at the Chicago Airport to head home for the holidays after an awesome weekend touring the city. Rushing throughout the airport I take a couple quick shots of the dinosaur skeleton in the main terminal before snaking my way to find the security line. This year I’ve become a travel pro, I’m pulling out my ID and boarding pass on my phone while settling into the TSA-pre line.

After I pass through the initial ID check I’m shuffling stuff around again when I hear behind me.

TSA Agent: Here you go and happy birthday!
Him: [With an awkward pause] Oh thanks.

I’m unable to control the inadvertent the “Awww” that comes out of my mouth as I immediately thought how it’s kind of lonely traveling by yourself for your birthday, and how nice it was that the agent noticed. Then I turn and with the biggest grin tell the young tall guy behind me “Happy Birthday!”

He smiles, less awkwardly than he had at the TSA agent and says “Thanks!”

Even in the in-betweens, it’s nice to have someone notice you, and your birthday. This time someone else noticed, but as always I’m happy to chime in and be a cheerleader.

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