Updated: Dec. 18, 2015
Originally Published: July 16, 2015
I once shared a similar mindset. This year, my birthday happened to align with our family vacation to Austria. My partner had booked the only non-direct flight from London, which included a rather lengthy three-and-a-half-hour layover in Hamburg, Germany. Unsurprisingly, the thought of such a prolonged layover filled me with anxiety. In the week leading up to our departure, I expressed my concerns about what we would possibly do in Hamburg for that amount of time, while my partner reminded me that he had meticulously planned every aspect of the trip, all while I leisurely enjoyed my wine.
The first leg of our journey went smoothly, and we enjoyed a pleasant hour-long flight to Hamburg. It seemed like everyone was traveling that day, as we deplaned into an airport terminal reminiscent of an American airport—known for its lackluster amenities compared to international standards.
Upon arrival in Hamburg, international passengers were required to clear security once again before boarding their next flight. Unfortunately, on that day, the security staff were on strike, leading to a chaotic scene with long lines stretching throughout the terminal. To manage the situation, we found a designated area where our children could play while we held our places in line.
Then, Chaos Ensued
My daughter, absorbed in her iPod, had entrusted the care of her cherished stuffed animal to my son. He was eagerly making it perform tricks—jumps, barks, and other antics typical for a six-year-old. One such trick involved the toy “walking” up a wall, and I watched as my son waved it at a red wall fixture.
Suddenly, the atmosphere shifted! A loud siren blared, red lights began to flash, and a massive iron curtain descended from the ceiling, effectively slicing through the security area and separating countless passengers from their destinations. Airport staff rushed to direct people away from the curtain or usher them through. In a moment reminiscent of a Hollywood thriller, one attendant even pushed an elderly man aside to clear the area. Once the curtain thudded to the ground, the sirens ceased, leaving everyone in a state of bewilderment.
I quickly grabbed my son and held him close. While I couldn’t definitively say that his actions triggered the alarm, I had a strong suspicion they did, so I kept my head low. After several minutes of waiting—during which the curtain remained down—I finally dared to look up. A woman was animatedly gesturing toward something nearby.
To my surprise, the Hamburg Airport fire brigade, made up of seven robust individuals donned in oversized yellow suits, approached to assess the situation. They gathered around the iron curtain, stroking their chins and pointing up at the ceiling, clearly puzzled.
The sound that escaped me was akin to the mother in A Christmas Story when the restaurant staff prepare the duck for dinner. I gripped my partner’s arm. “I feel like I should apologize!” I exclaimed.
“Don’t say a word!” he instructed softly. “We don’t even speak German!”
A fellow traveler with her daughter tapped my shoulder. “Say nothing,” she advised, her thick German accent evident. “While I don’t condone what he did,” she gestured discreetly toward Charlie, who had crept into the shadows, “this is a bit of an embarrassment for Hamburg Airport. Let them figure it out.”
Her insight was a welcome relief; who better to understand German bureaucrats than someone from Germany? We chose silence. With a portion of the crowd stuck on the other side of the curtain, the lines began to move more quickly. Eventually, we made it through the checkpoint and to our gate. Having just survived an international incident on my 40th birthday, we decided to order some prosecco.
As we toasted, my partner triumphantly reminded me that he was the one who booked the flight with the lengthy layover. It dawned on me that layovers are worthy of respect. Isn’t life essentially one long layover? Reaching 40, or being in your 40s, feels similarly like a transitional phase—between youth and old age, ambition and acceptance. For many women, it’s that in-between time of shifting from having infants to navigating the teenage years, a unique twilight of its own. A brief pause in a journey can serve as a meaningful reminder that the present moment is just as significant as the destination ahead.
As we boarded the plane, there was that German mother with her daughter once more. We made a pact to ensure that our son wouldn’t touch anything this time.
For more insights on family planning and home insemination, check out one of our other articles here. And if you’re looking to understand more about the options available, visit this excellent resource on home insemination.
Summary
In a light-hearted reflection, the author recounts a chaotic layover experience in Hamburg that unexpectedly taught her about life’s transitional phases. Through the mishaps and humor of navigating airport security with children, she draws parallels between layovers and the different stages of life, emphasizing the importance of appreciating the present moment.