Don't expect me to make animal noises.

Sometimes as I meander across campus, I watch the golf carts roll by. Their passengers stare at the buildings, gorgeous fauna, and the students.
I cannot help but feel like I am part of a safari exhibit in the zoo where guests travel in the safety of a vehicle through the throngs of animals.
And I am willing to guess that if these travelers held out food to us, we--like animals--would hurry to the cart to snatch up the offerings.

I am now a woman.

More than a week ago, I flew in to California for my long awaited cruise for sister week.
[sis-ter week] noun.
1. A get together that happens every other year in which the Sederberg sisters (Rebecca, Maria, Laura, and Angela) gather and do something fun.
I arrived in the Long Beach Airport a few hours before Rebecca could come pick me up, so I sat on one of the few benches in that tiny airport. I watched people come and go, but I definitely sat for the longest amount of time. Since I love to people watch, I did not mind the wait.
After an hour, a man sat down at a bench close to mine. He was in his late thirties or early fourties. When he had been seated for a few minutes, I heard him speak.
"Excuse me....Excuse me." I turned and realized he was directing his speech towards me. "Are you from Phoenix or Texas?" Uh...what?
"Nope. I am not." Ever since then, I've wondered what would have happened if I had answered yes.
"Oh. Well I am waiting for someone from there." Is this your tactic to find said person? Ask random people if they are from Phoenix? Or Texas?
"Yeah. I'm waiting for someone as well." I turned my head back to the position it was in before.
A couple minutes passed.
"Hey, can I buy you a drink?" What? I turned back so I could face him.
"No. That's okay. I'm fine." I didn't know whether to laugh or walk away.
"Really? Because I'm headed over to get myself one right now. I could get you anything."
"I'm really not thirsty. I just had a lot of...water on the plane." How on earth are you supposed to graciously turn down a man offering you a drink? In the passenger pick up area of an airport?

The worst part of the situation is that he went to the little food stand we were seated next. We had our conversation right as I was contemplating getting some food because I hadn't eaten in quite a while. After we spoke, I felt like I couldn't get up right after him and order some food.