On the street

Eastern Iowa Airport, Thanksgiving travel

Anyone who's done a decent amount of air travel has also done a lot of waiting in terminals and knows this fact: airports are the best place to people watch. Seriously. There's no better place to see a fascinating mixture of people in their best and worst moments. You witness melt downs at the gate or standing in line at security check-points. And, you see sad goodbyes. But, you also watch homecomings: the look on a mother's face welcoming her child home from college or a couple kissing after a long (or short) separation.

That joy is my favorite part about airports. And there was plenty of it Wednesday at the Eastern Iowa Airport. The arrival gate and baggage claim area were flooded with people travelling to eastern Iowa for Thanksgiving. There were college students coming home for the first time since their parents sent them off to school in August. There were young couples bringing their children home to see grandma and grandpa and there were reunited couples who kept stealing kisses and hugs.

As a seasoned airport people watcher, I was in my element. But, I also was a little sad. My entire immediate family lives 4,000 miles away in Alaska. And, though they were just here for my wedding in July, I still found myself wishing that I was at the airport to pick them up or with luggage of my own, on my way to see them. I haven't been back home since I moved to Iowa two and a half years ago. So, even though I'm excited about hosting our first Thanksgiving, a part of me wishes I were going home for the holidays.

Keeping in the holiday spirit, Nicole will be at the Prelude to Christmas/ Tannenbaum Forest in the Amanas on December 4.

  |    Login or Join to Post Comments