EL aeropuerto

There is something unique and exciting about traveling alone. It can be lonely but forces you to branch out and meet new people. I truly love airports. So many people traveling from all over the word to all the ends of the world. In this one place people congregate for the same intention. To travel, explore new places, meet new people, or return home to their own people. I love that excited feeling when you first arrive at the airport. You check your bags in and find your gate. As I go through security I always wonder "will I make it though?", which is silly because I have never carried a bomb or knife, or any sort of weapon with me ever, let alone when I am traveling in an airport haha. But there is always that thrill. Once I "surprisingly" make it through security without problem, I love the hunt to find my gate. Up these stairs and down this hall, it is always a mystery, might be a simple mystery but never the less it is always different. Once at the gate and everything is on time I look around at all the over priced souvenir stores with "i heart LA" t-shirts and gummy bears that cost a small fortune. Before getting on the airplane I always eat my snacks that I brought that were supposed to last the whole day of flying, Yeah right haha. Airports are great even when alone, it gives you a chance and reason to brach out and make new connections and have an interesting conversation with someone new, who you will probably never see again.

Traveling home is a different story. Once again being alone is lonely but in a way it is soothing. For me I cherish the time to organize my thoughts and feelings, and meditate on what happened in the last month of living in costa rica. I have time to reminisce and write about all the fun adventures, and about my struggles, feelings and triumphs while in that foreign land which has become more and more like home. Once again being in the airport has more of a bitter sweet feeling than when I first get to LAX and know that there is a month of unknown amazingnes ahead of me. Instead there is a feeling of reality setting in. I have to check the time and know what day it is. I have to think about when I am going to work and when school starts and everything I have to get done in between. I have to realize I am leaving home to go home. Part of me is ready to go back to normal life, see my parents (whom i miss very much) and have a different kind of freedom than here in costa. Still, the airport has lost its magic when you are sad to leave new found friends and family. I have been in this place long enough to feel like it is truly home and now I have to go "home" and redefine my daily life... again. It is easy to feel free and weightless in costa rica. Where life is truly pura vida, and the air is always warm and you can feel your heart sing with the beauty that surrounds you. When going to this other "home" in cali I can feel the weight slowly coming back as I fly closer and closer to my destination. I am going to college. I am moving out. I need to find more work to support myself and have enough gas to get around town now that my parents no longer fund my every whim. This trip is probably the last that will be paid for by my loving gracious parents who want me to travel. Reality sets in. I am no longer living in paradise with all my closest friends and perfect waves and no job or school or drama. Where the only thing I have to worry about is missing the right tide for the surf or forgetting my book at home when we are at the beach. haha it already feel like a joke to have that sort of care free life which I have lived for the last month. Anyway. so sitting in this plane or airport I have come to realize traveling alone might give me too much room to think and evaluate. If I was with Chloe or Soph I am sure I would not be so cynical about going home. I had the best month of my life and I will cherish it rather than think about the negative aspects of leaving my new found home. I will be back soon. I still love the airport even when returning but I soon hope to be going the opposite direction in this plane and to once again have that thrill of seeing paradise.
pura vida