The Changi Airport, I declared the instant we were entered, was by far my favorite. Always has, always will be. The inside is like an interior wonder. And the outside is architecturally practical, and amazing and just H A P P I N E S S. I mean sure its super tiring to walk and stuff but its worth it. I like that they have plants everywhere, I mean its all eco friendly too, which is even better. We ended up in this really nice, I don’t know, rest area I guess. It was big and had seats like, everywhere. We decided to sit far off near one of the restrooms and just sit for a bit. It was a really cool polished design actually. I mean it was a long, solid block of wood with large parts cut out for seating.

We sat down, but the second my bottom brushed the varnished wood my mom just blurts ; “We forgot the stroller!” You see, my parents brought along this travel stroller that you can fold up and take with you wherever and it was really practical and easy if my sister was getting sleepy or antsy. Before boarding our flight in San Fransisco, they put a tag on it saying it should be sent straight to the Changi Airport in Singapore. We were in the Changi Airport, in Singapore. And yet we all had forgotten the authority we had over that poor stroller. My dad decided to go back and retrieve from where we exited. A couple moments later my dad got it back, it was all good, we got back our happy little stroller. My mom and I decided to use the restroom to change or clothes and cleanse ourselves.

Now, in Changi Airport, or any airport really, the bathrooms are just really fancy. Like modern art museum interior fancy. But this restroom was a flipping work of art okay?! Sure I lost some of my dignity saying that, on the internet, where lots of people can read, but it was worth it! When I entered I instantly felt out of place with my mussed up hair and crooked glasses. It was so lavish and clean and the freaking mirrors were floating. Well thats what it looked like from my view anyway. Due to my unfortunate lineage in height that I received from my mother, the mirrors appeared to be defying the laws of gravity them self. I craned my neck and(to my disappointment)the mirrors weren’t actually hovering. The mirrors were designed to be attached to the ceiling so paper towels were coming out of the other end. I found that to be really practical and innovative as small as the idea was.

My mom and I went and did our business and I came out before she did so since I had to wait after washing my hands I just stood there like a creep in the bathroom. Another thing about Changi Airport, is, that they have these little rating systems in all their restrooms, nature displays, etc. So near the exit to the restroom, their was this little screen which had five little faces, one was extremely happy, one was just grinning, one was looking just okay, another was slightly frowning, and the last one just looked plain disgusted. Below the respective yellow circles were the words, excellent, good, average, poor, and very poor. Above the screen was a picture of the women of cleaned the area. I looked around and realized she was cleaning one of the stalls and had just come out. I clicked excellent on the screen just as my mom came out of the stall and was washing her hands.

I was contemplating whether or not to say something to the elderly lady but my introvert kicked in. I’m not the most outgoing person. I mean what do you expect me to say to person I have never met, and don’t even know. Just waltz up to her and just be like  “HeystrangerI havenevermetinmyentirelifebeforebutIamtalkingtoanyway.You do anexquisitejobatcleaningandIthinkanyonewhoeverwalksintothe restroomshouldrateandexcellentalsoyouhavenicehairaswellwhatkindofshampoodoyouuse?”

No, I ain’t that kinda girl.

I was still thinking it over when my mom tugged me along, when we were close to the exit I just silently shrieked “wait” like a banshee and broke away from my mom faster thank you can say “methylenedioxymethamphetamine.” My mom and I both gave a simple wording of appreciation which earned us both hearty smiles from the woman, before coming out of the restroom telling my dad and brother that we could go to the Immigration area. We went and it was really colossal. I mean the last time I was there I remember feeling so grown up being ten years old but I’m thirteen now. I felt very small. I mean I understand things better now, my eyes and mind aren’t glazed over all the time. 

Okay real talk over now.

While my parents filled out forms I instantly got bored, along with my brother and sister. My brother was goofing off, my sister was eating a canister of salted peanuts. My dad, was pointing out some stuff that my mom had to right in the forms. I was ogling over this entire wall and its just massive and awesome and just H O W. I mean I assumed that they would have built in an irrigation system to keep all the plants hydrated. Unless there was someone who was over thirty feet tall and was able to defy gravity, walk on walls, and was willing to water plants in the airport daily while having to deal with the commute of people coming in and out of the airport like house flies.

I took my sister in her stroller and we explored the garden area with massive( wow I really like saying the word massive ) plants and shrubs. There was even this gargantuan statue of, a walnut. Of all things someone decided to make a walnut thats like a million times bigger than an actual walnut. Though I have to admit it was quite majestic looking compared to the trash can nearby overflowing with soiled paper cups and immigration forms. After what felt like an eternity, my mom finally finished up and we hustled on over to one of the lines.

The thing is, since we had Thulasi and Madhavan, -and I guess me in this case, we were technically children and we didn’t know about this until now I guess, but this man approached and told us to move to this other line with a sign that had a figure of a pregnant woman, children, and a figure with a walker. Basically this was a line for passengers with children, a passenger or a passenger who is or is in relation with a conceiving woman, or elderly persons. I found this to be a great idea, until I realized that this line was taking WAY longer than the regular lines beside us.

That escalated really quickly. Through I wish the line was quicker. Ha see what I did there? ; ) When we finally got out turn, apparently we were supposed to go as pairs so my mom, Thulasi, and I went first. Since Thulasi is just a baby and all they let it pass. Basically we had to put both of our own thumbs onto the finger scanner thing and I was terrified because a couple moments before I was wiping my hands with baby wipes and I was like:

ohmygooglymooglyfrickafrackwhatifthecomputerthingjustdoesn’treadmyfingersbecausetheirwetorwhatifImakeitgoupinsparksanditgoeshypersensitivebecausemyhandsarewetandthenitexplodesandcatchesonfire.

I just stood there super awkwardly with a really fake smile plastered on my cringy little face as the computer scanned my fingerprints. I honestly was hyperventilating behind my mask. The officer didn’t seem to notice but I did get one worried glance from her like

child are you okay.

What do you expect me to say? Oh yeah I’m great, I’m just making sure your computer scanner thingy doesn’t explode on me. Are you having a nice day? Yeah not happening. We were finally done. My brother and dad too. We started heading to baggage claim to, claim our baggage. And do you know how HARD it is to CONTAIN YOURSELF in front of those carousal things? I mean I just want to jump onto one a those those and just run around on it. and see how they get transported. Like going on a sideways ferris wheel. But I was way to tired and the jet lag was already kicking in. before I could do something stupid. But another new contingency was waiting. Two actually, both in the form of men. And both two men who are, and always will be parts of my lives that will never ever be underappreciated and I will never ever forget to love with all my heart.

I think my mother will agree.