Lone Travels

If I am traveling more often than not, I am traveling alone. I don’t know how that happens to be, but every time I travel a long distance, it’s probably going to be on my own. Sometimes it might be because other people have already reached it, other people will come later, or other people are already there. I thought this trip would be exactly the same. Just a few predictable movies to help me fall asleep and the attempt to read something I have been putting off from reading on the ground. A long flight is a great way to teach someone about how uncomfortable sleep can be. Then bam, before you know it, it has been like twelve hours, and you are there. But this flight was different.

I knew that there was nobody already waiting at the other end or anyone that was going to come after me. My lone travels were going to lead to a lonely destination as well. I knew that there was something I was leaving behind, which I could probably come back to, yet I do not know if I will ever actually end up wanting to, and even if I did want to, was I going to make that effort? With this departing mindset, I sat in my seat 15D; it was in the first emergency exit row. I watched a movie, then another, but not even a drop of sleep came to mind. I was confused; I would usually have taken two naps by now. I looked to my left, and I saw you, fast asleep. I hadn’t paid attention to my surroundings until now.

I was bored of watching movies and attempting to read books. I did not want to just wake you up; you were a stranger, but I wanted to talk to you. So I waited, and suddenly this trip, with nothing to anticipate, became exciting. They began serving breakfast, and that was when you woke up. We took the same thing to eat, although there were only two options. I looked up from my plate, and you offered me your desert since you did not want yours, while it was the first thing that I ate in the meal. Shamelessly, I took the dessert with a smile on my face. I saw my smile reflect on your face, and that was all I needed for this flight to seem a little less scary. I did not say a word the entire flight after that. We landed, and I left the airport in a hurry.

I spent the next few days thinking about why I was simply happy with the smile and never spoke to you. My own behavior puzzled me, yet I wasn’t scared of the journey ahead anymore. A week later, I was walking down the street. Nothing was special about this street; it was just like any other. Until I saw you pass by on the other side. So I ran across you; I stopped you in the way and said hi, and all you said was, “I am sorry, but I don’t recognize you."