Tears of joy for hello.
Tears of sadness for goodbye.
There is also lots of coffee as you sit and wait for your family and friends to arrive.
Expats don't need to programme the airport into their GPS/Sat Nav.
Their car takes them there, like your car does the school run or the journey to work.
Expats know the best parking.
Expats always have the right change for the fees.
Expats spend so much time at the airport that their phones and laptops automatically connect to the wifi, just like it does when they walk through their front door at at home.
This morning at 5am I've dropped hubby at T1 Dubai Airports, he's off to Turkey with work for the week.
We never drop and run, we always park up and say a proper goodbye.
I have 2 hours on my ticket, I wait at the airport until he's at the gate, I sit and have a coffee, he calls me, I go home. Track his flight, he messages when he arrives at the airport and again at the hotel.
Then we both get on with the week and we do the same in reverse on Friday when he comes home.
That cup of coffee is like this bright little private bit of hope amongst all the dreariness of the airport. A very poignant shot.
ReplyDeletethank you for your comment, it's quite a gloomy place not much to do unless you're airside
DeleteThat sounds really hard! It's good that even though it's such a regular occurrence that you always take the time to say goodbye properly.
ReplyDeleteit would be too easy for us to get a taxi there and back, nut this is much more personal
DeleteI wish we had one close to here.
ReplyDeleteairport or a starbucks?
DeleteAre you dropping your son off? Sounds hard but it sounds like there will be lots of big hugs x
ReplyDeleteit was hubbies turn to leave, son goes back next week
DeleteIt is so lovely that you say goodbye properly....It sounds so hard x
ReplyDeleteit certainly doesn't get any easier and we've had lots of practise
DeleteI'm afraid I just "kiss and fly" as drop off is called here! I think it's lovely that you wait till your hubby has got to the gate, then track his flight. We have a system of silly texts that we send each other when we're on board and when we land again. I can so relate to what you're saying.
ReplyDeleteit's hard isn't it? not so bad with hubby as he's only away max of 2 weeks, but with the kids it could be several months before we see them again
DeleteYou know I must be one of the only people in the World that has never had a Starbucks.
ReplyDeleteLately it seems you spent lots of time at the airport
Thank you for linking up
Starbucks just happened to be the nearest, the full range is available depending on what terminal one flys from
DeleteI wish I knew how you had the strength
ReplyDeleteit's just something we have to do
DeleteThis is so true...we always joke about our little guys vocabulary....he uses suitcase and airport way more than the normal toddler. And he knows that when he sees the Starbucks logo that a waffle is in his future!
ReplyDeleteseems starbucks is widely known around the world
Deleteoh dear. it does not sound like an easy life that of the expat. i don't think i have the courage for it. good on you for doing so:)
ReplyDeleteit's just something one gets used to, we don't like it, but needs must
DeleteInteresting shot.
ReplyDeletePlease come link up at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/08/double-play-on-way.html
thank you
DeleteHow fascinating. I can imagine you know that airport like the back of your hand. There's something rather special about airports I think. Love that you don't just drop and run. xx
ReplyDeletei would say Terminal 3 in Dubai is my favourite airport airside, so much open and outdoor style space and the most frequently visited, even when we lived in OSuth Africa we always stopped over there
DeleteI love the focus on the coffee cup and the optimism of the words 'good day' (part of 'have a good day' perhaps?) written on it. Partings are always so hard aren't they? I often find myself driving my hubby to the airport on various business trips - I don't stop for the drop off (love the fact that you say a proper goodbye though) but I do make sure I'm waiting at the arrivals gate with the girls when he comes home again.
ReplyDeleteWhen we lived in South Africa we always did collections, regardless of the time of day or night, but since we've moved to Dubai, if the arrival time is after midnight, which is often the case, we just get a taxi home
DeleteLovely that you spend time together & don't just drop & run. Like the Starbucks message
ReplyDeleteI was back at the airport this morning, different crew, no message just my name badly spelt
DeleteAaaw I dont like saying goodbyes at all and well done that you stayed a bit and spend time together. xx
ReplyDeleteit's guilt that makes me stay to say bye, as i'm certainly not collecting him at 2am on his return trip, he has to get a taxi for that
Delete