Traveling from and returning to a city that doesn’t seem to belong to the rest of the United States is a strange experience. Airport chatter is suddenly multilingual if not Spanish—but never, ever English—and the serenity of being back home on American soil can sometimes seem more like panic and confusion, as though you were just flung into orbit and landed on a new planet. It’s all good though because only at MIA can you stress-eat croquetas and buy your relatives fresh stone crabs as a souvenir. Here, a look at the sights and sounds you’ll experience when making your way through the Miami airport.
1. Throngs of people lining up to saran-wrap their luggage
2. Airport employees kissing each other on the cheek and stopping for a cafecito at Versailles during their shift
3. Passengers risking missing their flight for one last cafecito at Versailles
4. Buying croquetas on your way to Customs because you know the lines will be long
5. Women applying a full face of makeup in the bathroom before getting to baggage claim
6. Chusmería—everywhere
7. Seeing the family who overpacked and is now struggling to make it down the neverending circular ramp to baggage claim/Arrivals
8. Leaving terminal D and having people ask you in Spanish if you just arrived from Cuba
9. Packing a carry-on and feeling like a goddamn celebrity because your ride is waiting for you upstairs at Departures
10. Running through the crosswalk and wondering whether you’ll get run over before making it to the Uber
11. Hearing salsa music in the terminal
12. People ordering Cuban sandwiches at 6am
13. Exiting the airport wearing anything more than a tank top and breaking into an instant sweat—even in winter
Want more? Sign up here to stay in the know.