The view from the airports

“Flying’s back, baby, and so is everything you used to hate about it,” said Natalie Compton in The Washington Post. Two weeks after being vaccinated, I flew across the country to celebrate my dad’s birthday, and the airports—Reagan National, Dallas, Fresno—looked like 2019. “I’m talking crowds swarming the gate; lines at every Starbucks; barefoot passengers sprinting to their connecting flights, sandals in hand.” On the first leg, a couple seated near me bickered loudly, masks down. On flight two, the AC nearly gave my feet frostbite. Baggage claim took forever. But as I watched other travelers joyfully reuniting with loved ones, I remembered: “It’s a privilege to experience all of travel again—not just the postcard-worthy moments but the uncomfortable parts, too.”