Nowhere else in the world will you find such a conglomerate of different and unique people. Here are a few characters I met on my journeys:
The Vagabond
Also known as the backpacker, this person can be found anywhere in the world, especially the more remote places. Always carrying a giant backpack and probably seen wearing flip flops in winter, you can't miss this person. Sometimes you can even identify them from their smell, as gross as that sounds. But I envy them. They are the least attached people, the carefree people, the people who seek adventure and who can find an adventure in anything they do. Yes they sometimes even have the stereotypic man bun or beard, but they possess something many people don't, and that is a true passion for life.
The Business Person
These people are also easy to spot. Business suits are usually a dead give away but also the small computer bag they carry and the quickness in their pace. These people are interesting for the reason that they work as they go - they don't miss a beat. But at the same time, they're oblivious to the world around them, even if they make the same commute everyday. Travel emphasizes the little things in life, and yes they may have a deadline, but no deadline is as important as the one we are all heading to. I would love to be able to have a traveling career, but if it means wearing suits and using company cars all my life, I'd rather be a smelly vagabond with no true home.
The Old Couple
These people are adorable. A couple 70-year-olds, probably one an anniversary trip or just enjoying their retirement after working all their lives and raising three children and a couple of dogs. Bless their hearts. But if you're not going to sign up for the priority lane, please pick up the pace a little! Hardly ever am I late or traveling other than leisure, but I'm young - I get excited about things I haven't seen yet and when you've been awake since 5 am and the old couple in front of you can't find their passports when it is right in the hands, it gets a little frustrating. At the end of the day, though, I envy them too, to feel young at heart and even physically fit to travel at their age. I want to be an old annoying traveler when I grow up.
The Family
The family. I'm sure we all just rolled out eyes because who hasn't been on a plane with young children or even a crying baby. Surprisingly though, i haven't had this issue much at all, despite being in some 20 airports in 3 months. Even more impressive, I've seen more single mothers traveling with infants. I could be that mom some day. But though the kids may be running in circles and the parents are pulling heir hair asking them to behave, I still can't help but envy them. I want my kids to see the world. I want them to see the good and the bad and then appreciate the good again.
Lastly, the Airport Workers
Most of these people speak at least two languages. They meet thousands of people from every walk of life. Though you don't get a chance to really sit and talk with them, you have to stop and admire them for choosing to work in one of the busiest and most stressful places in the world. And yes there is a ton of security in airports, but you never know what evil mastermind is going to target a hub full of humans. Airport workers just make me appreciate travel more because no matter where I go, I know that they know travel in and out, and all the small steps along the way, like serving a nice cold glass of beer.
