If I weren’t so excited to come to California and start my internship, I’d be quite depressed right now as I’ll really miss London. I’m sitting in the giant Terminal 3 lounge of Heathrow Airport and I remember sitting at the same spot 6 years ago on a connecting flight. 6 years ago… That just shocks me. Connecting the dots backwards, that flight 6 years ago was a pivot in my life. What was supposed to be a casual summer trip to America to visit my older siblings convinced me that I should move there. Its ridiculous how fast time passed and the things that have happened since then. I remember being so mesmerized by London. Rather, the idea of London as I didn’t know much about the city back then. But it was just very fascinating to see people around me and wonder what they were up to and how life was like for them. I don’t think I ever saw myself walking out the airport back then.

As I wait in the boarding lounge in Miami International Airport, I watch the airplanes fly away into the sky behind the clouds. One plane lands as another takes off and this goes on at an impressive speed. It’s an amazing feat of mankind! The comforts and amenities we are able to enjoy sitting tons of metal flying 10x faster than we drive. As soon as the airplane navigates and parks next to the terminal, multiple teams immediately get to work around the plane. Cabin supplies and food is being restocked while used up containers are taken out. The airplane is being refueled and I see the pilot come out and inspect the front landing tire. I wonder what’s up with that. Several bins of USPS mail are carouseled out of the airplane and checked in bags are transported to the airport as the passengers from the flight come in through the terminal. The entire plane is being serviced and prepared for the next flight within 30 minutes. It goes to show how well organized airports and airlines are to ensure on-time flights and smooth operation.