Serendipitous Encounters in the Charles De Gaulle

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We're often taught to be cautious and fearful in the airport, yet I find that one can often meet extraordinary people with captivating tales if one only sits, smiles, and opens their heart. On my airplane, I heard the excitement bouncing in an elderly man's voice as he described his plans to see Normandy with his son. He described the graves and shoreside he itched to see, and he beamed with pleasure when I recommended he visit Angelina's for hot chocolate while still in Paris. His eyes were glazed with dreams and his hands clutched his bag with determination.

While waiting in a McDonald's (in order to use their wifi, since even McDonald's wifi is better than the CDG's own), I encountered three young British girls (ages 5, 9, and 13) who had come from Disney-world in Paris. After helping the eldest connect her phone to the wifi, I seemed to immediately become their new friend in their eyes. The youngest sat down next to me and would whisper conspiratorial secrets, while the eldest earnestly provoked conversation and the middle child flittered about sometimes telling jokes related to her other sisters and other times discussing what had recently happened to her and her family. As we sat, the girls gushed about their lives and told me about their favorite memories and some of the sad events that had recently transpired. Returning to the table with food, their parents shared a bemused glance. I could tell this must not have been the first time their three daughters had befriended a complete stranger. Yet I talked and played with the girls for a few hours as we all waited in the McDonald's: they for their plane and me for my boyfriend. Thanks to those little girls, I remembered that sometimes it is alright to open your heart and befriend people in the airport.

-Sorry for no photos yet, you'll see plenty once I am no longer traveling from airport to airport.

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