How to Survive 24 Hours In An Airport

Everyone who has traveled by air often has eventually had a flight delayed or canceled. My spring break was spent in Costa Rica with my family. The airport in Liberia has one wall missing, so the hot air invades every part of the place. I suppose I should be grateful that Liberia Airport was not the airport I was left in. Traveling from Costa Rica back to Cleveland involves two flights: from Liberia to Atlanta, Georgia; and from Atlanta to Cleveland.

The first flight went off without a hitch, though there was quite a bit of turbulence towards landing. The second flight was scheduled to depart seven hours after our landing at eleven in the morning, but I have been traveling by plane since I was in swaddling clothes. I know how to entertain myself; by bringing my iPod, many fat books, and scores more in digital on my laptop. As dinner approached, my family noted the spectacular lightning storm brewing outside. This display of nature’s caprice struck a slight foreboding in my mind, a tiny voice that said; this may not be very good…

Sure enough, the storm got worse, and our flight was delayed not once but twice before the speakers announced that any pending flights were canceled on account of tornadoes.

Swiftly everyone rushed to the ticketing counters for hotel vouchers, and before my mother could even reach the end of the two hour line, all the rooms in the local hotels were filled.

There was nothing to it. We were going to spend the night in the airport terminal.

I have traveled by plane at least once or twice a year since I was born. I am accustomed to anywhere from an hour-long flight to a ten hour transatlantic flight. Through this experience I have learned how to handle almost any airport problem. More importantly, I have learned the three most important things to surviving 24 hours in an airport with both sanity and health intact. These three things are; eating, entertaining oneself, and sleeping.

Eating in an airport. Look for protein and fruit, and vegetables. If you’re not hungry, get a salad. Protein keeps your energy up. Fruit keeps your blood sugar from dropping too low and causing dizziness and headaches. Drink water, frequently. Apple juice is better because it has calories. Buy only one drink, and make sure it can close again so you can refill the bottle with water from the fountain, which will keep costs down. Cinnabon cinnamon rolls are a must in the morning.

Entertainment. Work if you must. If you’re a reader, bring books you know you like, at least three. If you’re not into books, bring a Gameboy or another pocket game console. Laptops are fantastic, particularly if you’ve downloaded games or digital books. Bring wall chargers for these devices and keep them in your carry-on luggage – there is always a plug-in in an airport, and electricity is free. Bring music to drown out the crowds, and always, always have an album, be it CD or MP3, of soft soothing music.

Ah, sleeping. Sleeping in an airport is an adventure. An airport never truly sleeps. Oh, they turn the TV screens that blare 24 hour news headlines off during the truly wretched hours of the night. Never sleeps, merely slows. Announcements go off every ten minutes. The janitors get busy and wheeled floor cleaners squeak their loud way across the linoleum. Bring a pillow when you travel – it makes sleeping in a strange place easier, and it makes traveling more comfortable. If you didn’t bring one, fold up your jacket. Backpacks and purses or even large books will do in a pinch. It’s important to keep your head up so you don’t get a crick in your neck. A jacket or extra shirt will do as a blanket. The lights in an airport don’t go off, so use something cloth to cover your head and block out the light, but keep it off of your mouth so you don’t suffocate. I ended up using a pair of shorts. Put on headphones and play soothing, quiet music. It will drown out the announcements, TV, and general hubbub of the other travelers.

All in all, trouble at the airport makes for a great story, just make sure to take care of yourself whilst it happens.