My strong shivers which ran through every part of my body. My acing bones against that hard floor. My head suffering to find a comfortable spot on my backpack. My head, lost in a million thought. "Why am I doing this? Am I seriously going to sleep? Did I just miss an announcement?!" I laid there on the floor of the Charlotte International Airport from 10 pm until 4 am. Rolling around, shivering, thinking, and truthfully: on the verge of breaking down and crying.
I hugged my friends goodbye by the airport's United Airlines gate. In my head, I was ready to check-in my suitcase, eat something, and then sleep in the lounge which I was planning to pay for instead of a hotel. Yet little did I know about what was going to happen. I walked into United's desk, and there was nobody. It actually smelled like soap and looked shiny, so I figured that they just cleaned the desk and went on a break. But everyone was cleaning the airport as if they were closing it and going home. "Do airports close?" I asked myself. So I walked to the American Airlines desk with a pounding heart as I pushed my black suitcase and carried my two heavy suit bags. I prayed that everything was okay. But a lady stopped me on the way, and she explained with an angry voice that the people working on United's desk were gone, and that I would have to wait until 4 am to check-in... I couldn't quite understand or even grasp what she meant. I went to sit down, but I had to do something. I went back to her and asked if I can take my suitcase with me as a carry-on, she laughed at me and said: "Baby girl, go sit down and wait until 4. We have to go home and sleep too." I couldn't say any extra words. Maybe because I didn't want her to laugh me again, and I didn't want to humiliate myself too. The lady was clear, there was nothing for me to do. Should I start crying now, because my eyes were full in tears? No, we're stronger than that. We can't allow minor things to destroy us, because they are simply bumps on the way that we choose to walk on. So I told myself at 10 pm in the middle of that empty airport "I chose this 5 am flight, and I will tough it out." We always make decisions that we might regret, but that doesn't mean that we should give up on ourselves. I remembered Buddha's words and did my best; "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
I sat on those benches which were separated by armrest pads so people wouldn't be able to lay down on them. I tried every possible way to sit comfortably on one, but that never worked. I looked around as I thought of laying on the floor, but nobody was doing that. I was too tired to be embarrassed of people staring at me on the floor so I went ahead and did it. I couldn't and didn't find a comfortable way to lay straight on that ground, and it was so cold with no blanket to cover myself with, and no extra clothes to put on. I closed my eyes, and sank straight into my thoughts.
I woke up at 3 am and saw people laying on the floor all around the airport! It was such a proud moment to see people following my lead, but I still had an hour to spare. I closed my eyes again and woke up to the sound of my alarm. People were rushing into the airport now, and all of the airlines desks were busy. I checked my bag in, then I went through security. When they asked me where I was heading, I said with so much confidence "Going to the United Nations Youth Assembly to help my generation change the world!" The officers gave me a soft smile and wished me good luck.
Here I am now in New Jersey meeting people from around the world. We are united in this place to develop our ideas and turn them into action in the next few days. We are a power that can truly make a difference. I was extremely interested in knowing about the projects of the Chinese who came in a big group to develop their ideas. Even the Korean Delegates were sharp and very smart. Then I turned into people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, South Africa, Ghana, the Philippines, and more! Everyone in this place brings a very unique perspective that we all need to hear and respect. Our differences are uniting us here; our differences are the things that make this generation so unique and productive.
I come here with a lot of appreciation from sleeping on the hard floor, because many people face homelessness and that is their life. We never know how blessed we are until we're put out of our comfort zones, only then will we experience a different lifestyle that's odd to us, but normal to others. I am here to change myself, and to change the world. Lesson of the day: always put yourself in the shoes of others, even if you wanna start by sleeping on the airport's floor.
I hugged my friends goodbye by the airport's United Airlines gate. In my head, I was ready to check-in my suitcase, eat something, and then sleep in the lounge which I was planning to pay for instead of a hotel. Yet little did I know about what was going to happen. I walked into United's desk, and there was nobody. It actually smelled like soap and looked shiny, so I figured that they just cleaned the desk and went on a break. But everyone was cleaning the airport as if they were closing it and going home. "Do airports close?" I asked myself. So I walked to the American Airlines desk with a pounding heart as I pushed my black suitcase and carried my two heavy suit bags. I prayed that everything was okay. But a lady stopped me on the way, and she explained with an angry voice that the people working on United's desk were gone, and that I would have to wait until 4 am to check-in... I couldn't quite understand or even grasp what she meant. I went to sit down, but I had to do something. I went back to her and asked if I can take my suitcase with me as a carry-on, she laughed at me and said: "Baby girl, go sit down and wait until 4. We have to go home and sleep too." I couldn't say any extra words. Maybe because I didn't want her to laugh me again, and I didn't want to humiliate myself too. The lady was clear, there was nothing for me to do. Should I start crying now, because my eyes were full in tears? No, we're stronger than that. We can't allow minor things to destroy us, because they are simply bumps on the way that we choose to walk on. So I told myself at 10 pm in the middle of that empty airport "I chose this 5 am flight, and I will tough it out." We always make decisions that we might regret, but that doesn't mean that we should give up on ourselves. I remembered Buddha's words and did my best; "No one saves us but ourselves. No one can and no one may. We ourselves must walk the path."
I sat on those benches which were separated by armrest pads so people wouldn't be able to lay down on them. I tried every possible way to sit comfortably on one, but that never worked. I looked around as I thought of laying on the floor, but nobody was doing that. I was too tired to be embarrassed of people staring at me on the floor so I went ahead and did it. I couldn't and didn't find a comfortable way to lay straight on that ground, and it was so cold with no blanket to cover myself with, and no extra clothes to put on. I closed my eyes, and sank straight into my thoughts.
I woke up at 3 am and saw people laying on the floor all around the airport! It was such a proud moment to see people following my lead, but I still had an hour to spare. I closed my eyes again and woke up to the sound of my alarm. People were rushing into the airport now, and all of the airlines desks were busy. I checked my bag in, then I went through security. When they asked me where I was heading, I said with so much confidence "Going to the United Nations Youth Assembly to help my generation change the world!" The officers gave me a soft smile and wished me good luck.
Here I am now in New Jersey meeting people from around the world. We are united in this place to develop our ideas and turn them into action in the next few days. We are a power that can truly make a difference. I was extremely interested in knowing about the projects of the Chinese who came in a big group to develop their ideas. Even the Korean Delegates were sharp and very smart. Then I turned into people from India, Pakistan, Nepal, South Africa, Ghana, the Philippines, and more! Everyone in this place brings a very unique perspective that we all need to hear and respect. Our differences are uniting us here; our differences are the things that make this generation so unique and productive.
I come here with a lot of appreciation from sleeping on the hard floor, because many people face homelessness and that is their life. We never know how blessed we are until we're put out of our comfort zones, only then will we experience a different lifestyle that's odd to us, but normal to others. I am here to change myself, and to change the world. Lesson of the day: always put yourself in the shoes of others, even if you wanna start by sleeping on the airport's floor.
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