Mount St. Helens

Up in the Air: An Attempt at Socializing While Admiring Mount Saint Helens

There I was, sitting in my seat on a flight to Vancouver, doing what I do best — not talking to strangers. Headphones on, volume up, firmly planted in my introvert bubble. But then, magic happened. ✨ The lady in the window seat leaned over and said, “That’s Mount Saint Helens!” And just like that, my bubble popped and my two extroverted brain cells were activated.

Now, I’m not great at small talk. Honestly, my go-to plane strategy is: head down, headphones in, avoid eye contact. But when someone mentions a volcano — especially a legendary one like Mount Saint Helens — you can’t just ignore that, right? So, I took off my headphones, and we started chatting. Turns out, she had lived in the Pacific Northwest for years, and she generously shared some great tips for our Vancouver trip.

✈️ Lesson Learned: Maybe People Aren’t So Bad?

I won’t lie — I felt a bit guilty at first for zoning her out with my music. But once the conversation got going, it was actually... really nice. We talked about Vancouver, things to do, and (most importantly) places to eat. She raved about Richmond’s food scene, which, let’s be honest, is exactly what I was hoping to hear. Priorities, right?

Unfortunately, I didn’t catch her name — or if I did, my memory conveniently erased it because, well, I’m that forgetful. But I’m grateful for her kindness and her travel tips. Sometimes, a little extroversion goes a long way, even if it’s just a tiny crack in the introvert shell.