Many of the first chapters of my life were written in the Boston Logan Airport, a place that unwittingly became the setting for many of my lessons in independence and literacy. I end up there again with my father when a summer visit with him in Charlotte goes by too quickly. My dad would bring me to the airport and fly with me from Charlotte to Boston, where my mom lives, and then fly back to Charlotte after. It was always a hard goodbye. One day, when I was old enough, he stopped flying with me and I was led through the process with the help of a flight attendant. She tried to comfort me with good snacks and a show on the airplane TV screen. After walking me off the plane, I see my mom for the first time since the start of the summer. My smile stretches to my red puffy eyes when I see my mom again. Going through this process as an unaccompanied minor gave me agency to take the first steps towards a literacy of self-reliance that would define my identity.
The distance between both airports I knew like the back of my hand.
As the plane touched down, reuniting me with my mother, I felt the resonance of a narrative that would continue for years—a story of navigating the distance between two homes, thousands of miles apart. The airport, once a scene of tearful goodbyes, transformed into a canvas for my life lessons, with each departure and arrival shaping my understanding of independence and strengthening my perspective for my future encounters.
Solo flights became my classrooms, and chance encounters with fellow unaccompanied minors were my textbooks. From a young age, I’ve understood that I have to be my own leader. “What’s your name?” I creak to a young girl sitting in the aisle. From Charlotte to Boston, the short friendship continues for a two hour plane ride back to Mom’s. As I trek through the wide halls to the baggage claim, my ten-year-old eyes wander to the other unaccompanied minor doing the same. Swerving between travelers with her Hello-Kitty luggage, she unknowingly taught me how to navigate through my first independent trip home from Dad’s. In those shared moments, I learned the language of adaptability, resilience, and the art of finding my way in the vast corridors of life. Little did I know, this experience would continue for years during each venture to my father’s and back. With each similar short-lived interaction I’d have, I’ve grown to understand more and consider different perspectives. In retrospect, the airport not only served as a place to travel to and from but became my classroom, where emotional and social literacy unfolded. The boarding gates echoed with the whispers of human stories, each passenger carrying a unique narrative. This unintended curriculum in emotional intelligence enhanced my literacy journey, teaching me to interpret unspoken cues, empathize with diverse experiences, and respond to the silent language of shared humanity. The connections formed in the airport’s bustling corridors offered glimpses into the infinite spectrum of perspectives. Conversations with strangers, brief as they were, became windows into different worlds. These encounters broadened my cognitive literacy, fostering an understanding of the diversity of thoughts and opinions that shape our world.
The luggage that helped me to challenge my confidence between the gates.
Each flight attendant would prepare me for my next journey, offering me care and support. They were very kind and paid extra attention to me. I mimicked their confidence in my process of navigating the airport. I copied their confident strides that showed their trust in themselves to know where they were going and help others along the way. Traveling alone on a plane the first few times was difficult, but seeing the flight attendants walk up and down the aisles, heads high, showed me there was nothing to be afraid of and made me feel safe.
Slowly, the airport changed into a classroom where the teachers swarmed around me disguised as strangers, and my desk was assigned by the printed ticket clutched in my hand. The evolving narrative of my life, written in the terminals and etched in my encounters, now stands as a testament to my learning.
The leadership qualities I cultivated were not written in textbooks but were sparked by the accidental mentorship of that other young girl in the airport. From her, I learned my own independence, the grammar of navigating challenges, and the vocabulary of self-assurance. As I walked through the terminals, I realized that the wandering young eyes on me were not just admirers but individuals seeking guidance in the literacy of independence that I had unwittingly mastered.
The discomfort and nervousness that once accompanied my solo journeys transformed into the ink on the pages of my evolving narrative. The airport, with its bustling terminals and fleeting connections, became a living metaphor for the transformative power of literacy in independence. I, too, felt the gaze of others, hoping to decode the story of resilience and self-discovery that I had penned with each boarding pass.
I realize that my literacy journey extends beyond traditional definitions. I am a leader, not just of others, but of myself—a literate individual fluent in the language of independence. My aspirations are not confined to conventional paths but are inscribed in the nuanced paragraphs of my unique literacy narrative. The challenges navigated over the years have molded me into an independent leader, confident in my ability to chart my course. The airport, once a symbol of separation, has become a metaphor for the transformative power of resilience and self-discovery. I stand at the threshold of my future, embodying the lessons learned through each terminal, each encounter, and every challenge faced.
In the symphony of my experiences, the airport remains a recurrent theme—a metaphor for the literacy of independence that has become a lasting part of my identity. As I articulate my aspirations, I do so with the confidence of a literate individual, shaped by the chapters written in the terminals, the friendships forged in transit, and the challenges that added depth and meaning to my narrative. I am majoring in Environmental Studies and Sustainability and these lessons early in my childhood enabled me to claim the skills I need to navigate myself through my present and take control of my future. I help my friends with their work, reach out to teachers, maintain a relationship with my parents, and get the answers I need through exploration and taking action in order to manifest a successful future.
Now, after over a decade since being led by the young Hello-Kitty lover at LGA, I am a college student living the same distance away from home as I flew since I was young. My bravery as a child foreshadows the independence I have today. Recently, a friend of mine who has a heart condition collapsed on our way home from the dining hall. I got us both into my car and rushed to the emergency room. As it turns out, she was having a heart attack. Me being able to think quickly on my feet helped in saving her from possible permanent damage. I am thankful every day for the journey that aided my ability to lead in stressful times. Just as I once learned to navigate the bustling corridors of the airport, I now navigate the challenges of life, equipped with the resilience and self-reliance fostered in those early solo flights.
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