A Spiritual Awakening in Terminal 1

If you ever pass through India one day and decide to try to visit a few places on the way to somewhere else, know that the airport will be your favorite place in the country. Not when you land, mind you, no I’ve seen plenty of airports and this one is really no different than those all over. But when you leave, that’s when you’ll cherish the airport for the oasis that it is; a welcome calm in a sea of chaos. There is no better cure for the common annoyances of less than helpful airline employees and handsy TSA agents than a few days in Delhi. Add in some jet lag and you’ll find yourself dropping to your knees to kiss the ground of Terminal 1 and its sweet, sweet air conditioned facilities with promises of elsewhere. Sure, you’ll probably have to get past the man who will interrupt your check in process because he is ready to be checked in and what is a line anyways? It’s ok, he’ll tell you dismissively with a wave when you try to reclaim your position at the counter. And you might have an unsettled feeling when a different man cuts to the front of the security line and refuses to let the agents inspect his suitcase because he is in a hurry. But, at the end of the day, it’s worth it because you get to leave and the man with the suitcase isn’t on your flight. So, with the same nuanced perspective of someone dropped into the middle of Times Square and asked to reflect on the United States, I’d say if you want to enjoy India you should probably stay longer than one full day bookended by flights into and out of the country. Alternatively, you could always just read Eat, Pray, Love.