Another Day at the Airport

Abstract

Traveling is a complicated endeavor. For some, it is as simple as picking up one’s passport and heading to the nearest airport. For others, it is a harrowing experience, one marked by uncertainty. For tourists, traveling represents a temporary detachment from the mundanes of everyday life. For many migrants, it is an incredibly significant decision that can define their very futures. Drawing from a personal encounter at the airport, this flash ethnographic piece hopes to be able to illustrate the dichotomy of traveling i.e. the ease, and pleasure for some, and the uncertainty of refusal for others.