In Between Places

By Kamea Miranda

Florence

I think doing absolutely nothing while waiting to board a flight is one of the best things you can do—so that’s exactly what I did. The airport is, strangely, one of my least favorite places and one of my favorites at the same time. It’s exhausting and stressful, yet there’s this underlying excitement about going somewhere new and the experiences waiting ahead.

Before our flight to Dubai, I had a lot of time to kill at the Bologna airport. On top of that, I could feel my social battery running low. I tend to recharge when I’m alone, and I knew I’d be spending the entire week surrounded by people. So giving myself 15 minutes—or maybe even more—just to be alone and do nothing felt not only relieving but necessary.

I found an empty seat, tucked away where no one could see me. As much as I looked forward to this quiet moment, I’ll be honest—doing nothing was harder than usual. The airport was warm and crowded, and there was just so much going on around me. My mind kept wandering, bouncing between excitement and nerves about the trip ahead. I found myself preferring the noise in my own head over the overstimulation of my surroundings.

For most of that time, I kept thinking about what was to come over the next week. The excitement. The uncertainty. The unknown. It made me both anxious and hopeful. And because I was traveling with my entire class, I naturally ended up people-watching—but not strangers. I was watching people I knew from afar, which felt strange. We were all in the same place, but not in a classroom setting. It felt almost like I was watching strangers. I was observing friends and classmates in their own little worlds, but from a distance.

It was fascinating to see the social dynamics play out—someone walking alone while on the phone, others sitting together at the restaurant, some standing in line for food, a few on their phones, some talking, some asleep. It was like seeing everyone in their “natural habitat,” in a way I hadn’t before. I started thinking about how we all gravitate toward certain people, and then I couldn’t help but wonder—how do people perceive me?

That thought stayed with me. I realized that every person probably has their own version of me in their head, shaped by how close we are, or what kind of interactions we’ve had. It was a strange but humbling realization.

All in all, as much as I say I dislike airports, they’re actually some of the best places for self-reflection. They’re filled with anxiety, noise, questions, and waiting—but they also hold so much hope. They’re the gateway to new beginnings, and something about that, to me, is really beautiful.