We have all been there (some more than the others) and experienced it - delayed flights. Once caught in this nightmare, it literally never seems to end! I remember this particular experience when I was to travel from San Diego to Auckland.
I was prepped, ready to be strapped in a steel vessel, for 23 hours straight. My flight phobia was beginning to take over the moment I bid my goodbyes to my family. But nothing could contain the happiness of attending my friend's wedding. You see, being the maid of honor is honorary to a whole different level.
Save your time. Learn this in as little as 1 minute.
We’ve got 500+ bite-sized content to help you learn the smarter way.
Download the app
It's FREE
Katy Perry and Nicki Minaj accompanied me on my car ride to the airport. Their playlist is my all-time go-to! Getting off the cab, in a particularly chirpy mood, I entered the airport and started to hunt for my flight on the flight information display system (FID). Thankfully, my plane NZ4504 was ON TIME. But I had an hour to pass. Picking up my belongings, I naturally went to Starbucks to relax and do some last-minute online browsing with a venti Java chip frappuccino. Everything seemed to be going according to plan- my smooth cab ride to the airport, my flight scheduled to be on-time and my Frappuccino tasted heavenly!
A while later I gathered the strength to leave my comfortable Starbucks crash pod only to be found foolishly staring at the FID. Within a split second my flight was delayed. It felt like a jilt, something a real heartbreak would feel like.
I ran towards the help desk like a crazy person. After enquiring I was informed that it was a two-hour delay. I sat upset and somewhat irritated in the lounge area.
My inner demons began to annoy me even more, "Rebecca how will you pass 7200 seconds sitting alone at an airport?" Frankly speaking, Rebecca had no clue!
I went online googling stuff to do. Reading a book, listening to music, shopping for things, were some ideas which neither interested nor appealed to me at that moment.
I was extremely bored. To further intensify my horror, I read somewhere online that delayed flights can get held up for extended hours.
Being alone at a crowded airport with nobody to talk to or with nothing to do wasn't the experience I was looking for. I got up and decided to walk around aimlessly with all my luggage. While everyone was caught up in the airport hustle, I came across this impressive individual, engaged in his notebook.
Well, being an ambivert I let my outgoing personality take the lead. I sat on an empty chair next to the person. He was too engrossed in his work to notice my struggling self.
"What keeps you busy at a bustling airport?", I asked.
He was surprised at first but then he extended his notebook for me to see.
"This captivating art is what draws me to calmness", he replied.
He was sketching the setting of the airport in his notebook. It was incredible. His pencil had captured every little detail of the airport - the little food and shopping outlets, airline counters at a distance, the fatigued passengers drowning in their chairs, the kids playing in their own make-believe world.
"Your sketching captures all these minor details so effortlessly. How do you do that?", I enquired. I was inspired by his reply.
"I am David and sketching is a skill I recently picked up. My friend who is a sketch artist in London prompted me to try it out. I have been hooked to it ever since."
David went on to tell me how he and his friend got connected on the Kool Stories app and haven't stopped growing in as sketchers. I was awe-struck at the sheer perfection with which this airport stranger was putting everything on paper. Just when I was tempted enough to try my hand at it, David offered me a spare sheet, to begin with, "I could help you with it. All a beginner needs is a nudge in the right direction." Moreover, he encouraged me to Join Kool Stories. The sheer number of skilled individuals in over 200+ global skill communities make the concept of social learning and skill-sharing more personalised and effective.
While downloading the app, I hesitantly replied, "I am Rebecca and I do feel strongly about creating art. Your story is motivating enough for all amateurs out there. My flight has been delayed and I am stuck at an airport with nothing to do. Learning to sketch from you seems the best resort!"
I was intrigued. David taught me the basics of sketching, while the little artist in me spread her wings There were all those little sketching techniques he taught me which were really useful. Moreover, I tried my hand at still object drawing. I was somewhat successful. The two hours went by in a flash. I was willing to learn more, especially from an enthusiast like David. We exchanged numbers and promised to stay connected.
It has been a pleasure having him as a friend for three years now. If it were not for my passion for learning and his readiness to pass over his skill, I would have overlooked the incredible skill of sketching.
Moreover, apps like Kool Stories further streamline the process. Learn, sharing and upskilling has never felt so natural and rewarding.
){kind=link}