Connecting Through Stories: An Airport Llama Adventure

Arthur Brisbane (1864-1936) said, “Use a picture. It’s worth a thousand words.” But in the age of Instagram, do we take the time to think of more than a word or two while we’re thumbing through dozens of images of our friends, family, and others in a few minutes?

I had an enthralling experience this week, one I’ll never forget. As I sorted through the images and videos of the memorable time, looking for the best ones, I thought, no image is going to convey how moving the time was. I think that’s why I like storytelling. It gives context.

So here’s the story. I’ve long been aware that our fabulous airport (PDX, Portland International Airport) has a program that invites therapy llamas to welcome travelers. Mountain Peaks Therapy Llamas have been featured nationally (USA Today, People, US Weekly, Kansas City Star, etc.) for their work in reducing traveler anxieties. 

In the second novel of the cozy mystery trilogy that I’m working on, my protagonist, Mary, visits PDX to pick up another character. Since this character hasn’t been in touch, Mary is anxious as she strolls the airport. Why not have her run into the llamas, interact, and have her nervousness reduced? 

Someone on Threads social media regularly posts photos of the airport llamas, so I reached out to her. Besides, her name is also Kristy, spelled the same way. Before I knew it, I had a date and a time to volunteer with the llamas on one of their excursions. 

At a prearranged time and location, we assembled, five volunteers, the mother daughter owners and two llamas. Kristy, my Threads connection, had volunteered with them for fifteen years! Two of us were newbies. Everyone had a job: leading the llamas, taking photos, holding carrots, dealing with airport personnel and vendors, and managing the crowds. 

The gig entailed interacting with travelers and facilitating them taking photos with the llamas and feeding them, if they wished. We made several stops at the various stores and eateries for pre-arranged photo ops. When we encountered an available gate in concourse C, we’d stop and lines would form for taking pictures. 

I held Beni’s leash and a bowl of carrots for his treats. After eager travelers gave Beni a bear hug, I slipped the traveler a carrot (so Beni couldn’t see it and reach out), which they could feed to him by hand or put in their mouth to feed him in a pseudo kiss. 

I can’t emphasize enough that these are very special llamas. Their innate temperament (maybe one in fifteen) and training make them suitable for this post. I could use dozens of adjectives to describe them, but uppermost are: zen, calm, regal, poised, forbearing, forgiving, patient, and so much more. Did I mention beautiful?! They’re beautifully brushed and adorned. 

Llamas weight between 250-450 pounds and live between 20-25 years. Their average height is 5’-5” – 6’. They are curious, herding animals. Their humming sound thrills me like a favorite song. Llamas are known to spit, but usually at each other. I didn’t witness anything other than tolerance by these magnificent beasts. 

The entire experience amazed me, but I had three favorite moments. First, when an airport traveler saw the llamas they brought their hands to their face, covering their mouth in exultation. Total joy and surprise encapsulated in a moment. Second, one passenger had a pug dog in a stroller. Beni craned his neck down to behold the small dog and smell his head. At first the dog was a little freaked out, and hid in his blanket. Then, he emerged again as if to say, “What the heck was that?! I gotta get some more.” Third, feeding a llama a carrot from my mouth, although that might sound weird, was positively delightful, a human animal bond of trust. 

Now, speaking of airports, I need to “land this plane” of a blog post and pull all this together. This adventure started with me wanting to do a little story research and ballooned into an unforgettable experience. Reaching beyond your comfort zone to make connections can have life-changing effects. I’ll add that, as an introvert who is comfortable in a quiet environment with little outside interaction, this heavy people interaction was overwhelming but still worth it.

I stressed the importance of stories as background to fleeting images on social media. Personally, I think rich details add to a story giving it texture and nuance. My next challenge will be incorporating a robust experience of several hours into a few sentences in my my novel to add color to the story without derailing it. Good luck with that, I say!