“Welcome to Milwaukee, The Bloody Mary Capital of the World” greets me like a familiar hug each time I arrive at General Mitchell Airport in Milwaukee. Green Bay Packers paraphernalia, Cheeseheads, and Drink Wisconsinbly shirts adorn the vendor stations lining the central walkway to baggage claim.
Many long-time Milwaukee residents believe you are guaranteed to see a familiar face when traveling through Mitchell. Whether it’s a middle school friend, an old neighbor, or a distant relative, my home airport is a haven of radical familiarity.
I am pleasantly met with similar spouts of familiarity when traveling through Boston Logan around school breaks. Assembling Boston College connections in the Uber pickup and seeing classmates in the security line is commonplace for students who fly to and from campus. I have traveled solo to and from Milwaukee countless times during my first three years at BC. Yet, some of my fondest stories from my first semester abroad in Rome, Italy, have unfolded in and around airports.
Serendipity refers to good luck in unexpected circumstances. Synonyms most commonly associated with the adjective are chance, unexpected, and lucky.
The plane I flew on connecting from Milwaukee to Detroit looked minuscule compared to the spaceship-sized Delta aircraft I boarded from Detroit to Rome in late August. Boarding my first ever flight to Europe, witnessing aisles fitting eight passengers across and a seemingly endless number of rows made my stomach drop. Flight attendants greeted passengers with friendly “ciao’s!” and I sank into my seat, struck with panic. My seat partner arrived on board shortly thereafter. Without missing a beat, this bubbly brunette asked if I was studying abroad.
Nine hours later, Macie from Michigan State and I had become fast friends. She was a student placed in the same external study abroad program as I. We noshed on our airplane food and traded stories from our summers. Laughing over fellow passengers snoring and holding each other’s hand after our plane was struck with lighting helped quell both our nerves.
As the hours hastened by, I kept circling back to how lucky I was to have met her. Macie has become one of my closest friends at my school in Rome. Our movie-like meeting was the catalyst moment for a slew of serendipitous moments during my experience abroad thus far.
During my most recent weekend excursion, I traveled to Dublin, Ireland, to visit friends from BC. Ryanair horror stories seemed to unravel before my eyes. The entire airport was delayed due to impending storms. Hoards of angry travelers crowded customer service desks and airport pubs.
As a solo traveler yearning for tranquility, I moved myself to a nearby terminal and monitored my four-hour delay from afar. I set up shop in a bustling airport cafe. Moments after I arrived, a fellow solo traveler asked if she could plop at my table.
Three hours later, Helena from Melbourne, Australia, and I had become kindred spirits. Helena was twenty-four and had studied abroad at BC in 2019. She was traveling around Europe visiting friends she met on exchange at BC for the first time since 2019. These friends hailed from Amsterdam, Madrid, and Dublin. We exchanged photos of Gasson Hall at sunset, Eagles Deli sandwiches, and Alumni stadium. Helena raved about memorable CSOM professors and the collaborative environment she experienced in small BC courses.
Amid our multi-hour delays, I continued to rave about how lucky I was to have met her. As we parted ways, we exchanged Instagram usernames and a hug. She has kept me updated on her European adventures with her BC study-abroad friends.
Each time I arrive in a new country, I force myself to ditch my earbuds and eagerly observe the new language and entirely new way of life in the places I visit. Greeting German passport control officers or listening to an Irishman describe his airport cappuccino as “bloody lovely” are some of my current favorite memories.
One of the most meaningful takeaways from abroad so far is that serendipity tends to find those who wholly embrace their surroundings. Moving through crowded environments can be taxing amid the chaos of travel. If you don’t stop yourself in certain moments, however, all potential serendipity will pass you by. These airports might not be filled with familiar BC peers, like Boston Logan. Instead, they serve as a reminder that we often have more in common with those around us than we could begin to imagine.
From Terminal 3 at Dublin Airport to the Newton Bus, you would be surprised by the connections you may have with those who sit right next to you. Don’t let them slip by—reach out and grab them.
