I’ve been in the mindset lately to push myself to do things I wouldn’t normally do alone – go the movies, sit at a restaurant – and most recently, visit the airport bar. I was away on a business trip last week and my flight was delayed. I had about 4 hours to kill. I could sit and read my book, as per my usual, or I could push myself to try something new. So, I grabbed my stuff and hopped over to the nearest bar. I’m not a big drinker, per se, but was curious to experience the infamous airport bar.

I walked towards an empty seat, next to a middle aged woman who had a few drinks in front of her. I asked her if “this seat was taken.” She slurred back to me, “No.” So, I dropped by bags and sat down. Ramon, the bartender, approached me and I ordered a beer on tap – something light and girly, of course. The woman next to me started chatting with me. It was casual chat at first about flight delays, etc. Then she started to pour her heart out to me about why she was at the airport. “I flew here from London to meet my guy.” Turns out that she had flown a short one-hour flight to meet her new “military man” boyfriend. She told me that they had been having a long distance relationship and that he hadn’t met her three kids yet. “Have you told him that you love him?” I asked. “Yes, he said ‘love you’ at the end of our last conversation and then I said it back.” she responded, with a giggle.

Then she proceeded to stress how much she loved him and how he had changed her life. Granted, she was very drunk, but I felt as if I was witnesses profound progress in one-half of a relationship. She was realizing how much she loved him in front of my eyes. It was truly touching. Eventually, it was time for her to go meet his place. I wished her good luck and gave her my business card. “Please keep me posted because I’ll be thinking of you.” She left and I moved over a seat next to another young woman at the bar. We shook hands and she told me she was on her way to Las Vegas for her best friend’s birthday. She, too, was intoxicated. She was busy flirting with a series of men across the bar but took a few minutes to tell me about herself. She was 25 years old, a part-time bartender, and was spending her summer traveling to some of the great cities around the US. “I’ve been saving up for this summer for years.” Our friendly bartender, Ramon, told us it was last call and then we soon moved to a table away from the bar so he could mop the floor. We joined one of the flirts from across the bar – a tall, dark gentleman with a beautiful smile.

At a quick glance, I noticed he was wearing a ring and had a picture of a little girl on his phone. “You’re married?” I asked. “Yes,” he said. “Can I ask you a question? Are you faithful to your wife?” He laughed loudly and responded, “Yes!” “That is so nice to hear. How old are you?” He told me he was in his early-40s, which, I said to him, explained why he was faithful to his wife. “You’ve gotten the shenanigans out of your system by now.” We talked for a while longer and then he had to go catch his plane. He stood up and said to me “Get up and give me a hug, girl!” I’d made a new friend. Finally, I said goodnight to the bartender, Ramon, and the young woman who was on her way to LA. I went to Gate 6 and pulled out my book. Then, I stopped and smiled to myself. Look what I had experienced by changing up my routine for 1 hour. I experienced a great love story, met a new friend who promises to take me bar hopping in Boston when she comes for a visit, and encountered a wonderfully-loyal husband. All at the airport bar. Who knew?