Airports often mirror a country's overall atmosphere and state of mind. On June 15, 2025, I was flying with United Airlines from Queretaro, Mexico, to New Orleans, for a knee replacement surgery. Our flight ran into a problem when the plane ran out of fuel while circling Houston, leading us to land in San Antonio amid a storm. Lightning flashed, reflecting in the growing pools of water around the aircraft. Due to safety regulations, the ground crew couldn't refuel the plane during lightning storms, leaving us stranded.