Holidays travel
LA, Winter 2022
Watercolor on paper, 11x14 inches
10:30pm at LAX, sitting on a bench near gate 22 I am eating a homemade peanut butter sandwich while waiting for Sara’s flight to arrive. I am saving the last Xanax I have for the red eye flight on the way back, so I’m fully alerted and energized, without much to do.
The terminal is full of people but most of the stores and restaurants have already closed, not that you’ll find me eating airport food in most circumstances, and indeed I am well prepared with my sandwich. It wouldn’t have been my first choice as normally I restrict my carbs consumption that late in the day, but the logistics of bringing something lighter were not in my favor near the time of departure.
The area that I’m in is a bit hidden from other parts of the airport, to get here you’d have to pass by a narrow entrance behind a smoothie bar. Beside a small sign on the door there are no directions stating that there’s a pet relief room in this space, though you can see some travelers getting in and out of the room with dogs of various kinds and sizes. When I got here a few hours ago it was empty enough to allow me a semi meditative state of mind. And for a while it was just me sitting here listening to John Denver singing “Country roads, take me home to the place I belong”. It’s probably more of a driving song, but there’s a general need for belonging in the airport that makes it acceptable.
A flight to Phoenix is leaving from gate 22 at 11:15pm. I think that Sara will show up by then, though meanwhile the space is filling up with passengers. A family with two cat carriers came and sat in front of me under a large TV screen. The parents are very tired and one of them falls asleep leaning over the luggage and one of the carriers. The kid sitting to their right is playing a video game on their phone. I can’t see the cats in neither one of the carriers, doing my best not to appear too invasive I stretch trying to get a better look as my phone vibrates and a message from Sara shows up saying ‘Landed’ with a kissing face emoji, I ignore it for a few minutes still hoping to get a glimpse of the cats.
