I’ve been having some interesting conversations on the way to and from the airport. These days I’m going to LAX so often that I don’t feel like bugging anyone for a ride, especially if I’m only going to be gone a day. I drive to a pay lot and then take their courtesy shuttle. When you arrive, they pick you up at the terminal. It’s all simple, and I don’t have to worry about giving anyone a headache on the way to/from LAX or at LAX itself.

The owners of the lot are Middle Eastern and the drivers are often Latino. I like the drivers. They’re nice to me. Perhaps it’s because as service people, I don’t ignore them. I ask, “¿de dónde eres?” A short question leads to a short conversation from the parking lot to the Southwest terminal. On Monday, I was the only person in the mini-bus. The young and handsome driver was from Costa Rica. We talked the whole way to the airport about English classes, school, Costa Rica and the World Cup. As we approached the Southwest terminal he asked, “y tienes novio?”

“No.”

“Tan bonita y sin novio, se me hace difícil creer.”

I smiled.

He unloaded my suitcase and walked me to the curb. I said goodbye and walked to the check-in desk so that I could check my small carry-on sized suitcase (damn no liquid or gel rules!). Sometimes a little flirting — or just a casual conversation — with a stranger is nice.

Yesterday evening, the middle-aged man who picked me up was from Nicaragua. He told me about his daughters, how all his wives (three!) had been Mexican and how he really loved Mexicans because they had done a lot for him.

He also asked questions, and was surprised by one of my answers.

“¿Cuántos años tienes?”

“Veinticinco… casi veintiséis. Mañana los cumpló.”

“¡Veintiséis! Tienes la cara de niña. Pensaba que tenías unos quince o dieciséis. ¿Qué comes?”

People guess my age in the -teens all the time. I’m used to it, but still amused. Why is it that the gap in my actual age and perceived age keeps growing? You think by the time I turned 26 people would actually guess that I was in my 20s.