Beirut seen from above in August 2026, a few minutes before landing at Beirut Airport. (Photo: G.K.)
In mid-July, he missed his flight to Beirut. The alarm went off at the scheduled time, but he didn’t hear it. For this thirty-something maniacally organized person, it was a first. Usually, on the eve of his returns to Lebanon, the anticipation of coming home was enough to keep him from sleeping. He would arrive three hours too early at Roissy airport, harboring the slightly absurd idea that waiting closer to the plane would somehow shorten both the wait and the distance. As soon as his Middle East Airlines flight number appeared on the screen, his heart would start beating a little faster. Read more Lebanon and the urgency of living But that summer, nothing. Even realizing he had missed his flight, not knowing when another seat would become available, he felt not the slightest bit of worry. For a few months, he had fallen out of...
In mid-July, he missed his flight to Beirut. The alarm went off at the scheduled time, but he didn’t hear it. For this thirty-something maniacally organized person, it was a first. Usually, on the eve of his returns to Lebanon, the anticipation of coming home was enough to keep him from sleeping. He would arrive three hours too early at Roissy airport, harboring the slightly absurd idea that waiting closer to the plane would somehow shorten both the wait and the distance. As soon as his Middle East Airlines flight number appeared on the screen, his heart would start beating a little faster. Read more Lebanon and the urgency of living But that summer, nothing. Even realizing he had missed his flight, not knowing when another seat would become available, he felt not the slightest bit of worry. For a few months, he had fallen out...
