Call me crazy

One of my favorite questions to ask people, whether it be friends I’ve known for years or those I’ve just met, is “What’s your biggest unpopular opinion?” Simply put, I love discovering seemingly random thought processes that are often met with a puckered face or judgmental side-eye.

For me, I’m obsessed with airports. It’s okay, you can call me crazy if you so wish. But I am, in fact, typing this column in complete and utter bliss as I patiently await my flight home from South Carolina.

I love everything about the airport, from the rush of making it through security to the excitement of seeing the sunset over the plane’s wing. You can bet I will use any possible excuse to spend a day at the airport (bonus points if they have one of those cool train shuttles between concourses, those things make me act like a kid in a candy shop).

Better yet, sometimes I choose my flight to ensure an adequate layover period solely so I can explore the airport. I thoroughly enjoy wandering the little shops and stores, all filled with absurdly overpriced items to which I never purchase. Nonetheless, I’m glad that simply looking around is free!

I reach my peak productivity levels while sitting in the airport. There’s just something about the fast-paced atmosphere, even despite the slow charging stations and outlets that are rarely readily available, that allows me to kick it into high gear.

While most people view airports as sources of mayhem, anxiety and frustration, I could spend nearly every day in an airport if my bank account could handle it, so much so that I dreamed of being a flight attendant while growing up. That desire has since come and gone after discovering the stressful nature of the job on top of the sheer level of responsibility and preparedness that comes in the case of an emergency.

My favorite aspect about airports is the fact that each person is on their own individualized journey of which everyone else around them is completely unaware of. The person across from me could be flying home to visit family they haven’t seen in years. They could be crafting their own path and moving to a new city, paving the way for uncharted adventures. Their life could be just like mine or entirely opposite, and I would never know.

Without getting too philosophical, the airport experience has allowed me to reflect on those around me and realize to I should never judge a book by its cover. Each and every person, whether they’re anxiously awaiting a flight, experiencing rage in the security line or excitedly wandering the airport, is facing their own battles and struggles that no one knows anything about.

Every trip to the airport reminds me of a recent experience in Charlotte to which my flight was delayed overnight. Most passengers were infuriated at the news as well as the thought of spending a night sleeping in uncomfortable lobby chairs or on the chilly tile floor.

For my airport-loving self, I couldn’t have been more excited, but as the initial buzz and commotion subsided, boredom and anxiety crept in. There I was, stuck in a different state away from my family, knowing no one around me.

Before I knew it, I found a group of gals that, to this day, consisted of some of the most kind and genuine souls I’ve ever met. Our “Airport Fam”, as we called ourselves, shared stories of our hometowns and loved ones, careers and aspirations and everything in between. Perhaps this memorable exchange of feelings of trust and safety, with complete strangers no less, is why I love airports.

Maya Angelou said it best with “Perhaps travel cannot prevent bigotry, but by demonstrating that all peoples cry, laugh, eat, worry and die, it can introduce the idea that if we try and understand each other, we may even become friends.”

So to Anna from Greensboro, Kim from Myrtle Beach and Sue from Connecticut, I hope you’re all doing well.

Although I have plenty of other unpopular opinions, such as that ranch dressing and pickles are some of the nastiest foods known to man and that Valentine’s Day is overrated because you shouldn’t need a designated day to show someone you love them, my infatuation with airports tends to elicit the most interesting responses. While many people have tunnel vision of their flight’s destination, I oftentimes think the journey is half the fun.

I think discovering the unpopular opinions of those you surround yourself with can be some of the most impactful pieces of information you can learn, simply because it shows a level of comfort. Being able to express your seemingly-unreasonable and outlandish thoughts to someone without judgment is a beautiful thing, and I think people should exchange them more often.

So, forget icebreakers like “Tell me a fun fact about yourself” which almost always results in a fact which is, ironically, not fun. Get to the nitty-gritty and ask for an unpopular opinion as they will most definitely provoke a laugh or worthwhile conversation. Who knows, you might even have more in common than you initially expected.