She looked nervous and a little overwhelmed, so I opened Google Translate and typed simple phrases to help her order her meal and fill out her customs form. Her eyes lit up with relief, and soon we were “chatting” back and forth, passing my phone between us.
For hours, we shared bits of our lives—she told me about her small town in Japan, and I told her about my family back home. She was on her way to meet her grandson for the very first time, and her excitement was contagious. Even though we didn’t share a spoken language, we laughed, smiled, and found connection in the simplest ways.
