As I wait in the airport for my delayed flight, I look around me and see so many stories.

I went on my first plane when I was six months old and I have probably been to the airport over 100 times. Unlike most people, I don't find it to be an inconvenience. Checking your bag can be a hassle and going through security feels like an invasion of privacy, but I have done it enough times where it feels like routine. I enjoy my time waiting to board, surrounded by strangers and gazing out the window seeing what some people never see. Being above the clouds feels out of this world and it amazes me that some people never reach that height.

I understand the fears of planes and people who prefer to drive. When I was younger, I was afraid to fly by myself. I'm not sure what I was afraid of. There are more car accidents than plane crashes and I'm still alive. Thousands of people travel by plane every day, whether it's for work or pleasure.

When I look up from my computer, I see people kissing goodbye and saying hello, new parents comforting their crying babies and people running away to new beginnings. I see people of every shape and size and skin color.

Each of these people were led to this gate for one reason or another, and they all have a story to tell. The woman sitting next to me recently lost her husband and is taking time off work to see the places they never got to see. The unaccompanied minor looking out the window is going back to his mom after a too-brief visit with his father.

There are window seat people, like me, who like to look down at the clouds and all the tiny cars, or maybe they just don't want to get up if someone needs the restroom. There are aisle-seat people who need the restroom frequently or don't like to feel closed in. I don't think there is such a thing as a middle-seat person, just people who were unfortunate enough to get stuck squished between two strangers.

There are those who show a disgruntled expression when you choose to sit next to them, but there are also people who start talking as soon as you sit down, curious about the lives around them and eager to share their own story.

Some people are sitting, captivated by a book. Others drown out the outside noise with headphones in, signaling to people they don't want to be bothered.

As I board my flight, returning home, I realize that I am only such a small part of this immense world. My story is one of many.