Visiting the DMV is a fabulous opportunity. Yeah, that’s not something most people say but while sitting there in that clustered little building, I began to observe what was around me. Watching how people interacted with each other, how others fidgeted with their hands because something was bothering them, and the expressions people had on their faces while they sat less than two inches away from a complete stranger for a long period of time; this is the place to be for people watching.

Not to sound creepy, but people watching is one of my favorite things to do in public places. And so that we can be on the same page, here’s why. I find it so interesting to notice traits and little quirks about people never noticed before. More can be inferred about a person from their actions than their words.

Humans interact and communicate not only through speaking, but also with emotions. For example, if you are having a conversation with someone over text, you will never know the other person is feeling or acting on the other side of the message board unless they blatantly share their emotion, or insert an emoticon in the conversation. This is why texting is not a reliable way to talk about your personal life because you have no idea if the person you are sharing this information with even cares.

People watching is best to do in public areas that are not always used for social reasons. My alltime favorite place to observe people would have to be the airport. It’s a location where everybody has an interesting explanation to be there. Whether it be for a business trip, or to travel the world, everybody’s story is exciting and it is fun to guess what it is. When you target the person you want to “watch,” you need to be sure that he or she is completely oblivious to the fact that a stranger is trying to figure out their life story by thoroughly staring into their soul. If the suspect notices your purposeful staring, be sure to abort the mission as quickly as possible, and try to act as nonchalantly as possible.

Be sure not to give off the wrong impression while staring because it might cause those who notice to become uncomfortable and self-conscious. But overall, have fun. The best kind of friends are the ones who notice the little things about each other. So next time you are out and about, be sure to be observant of your surroundings. Who knows, you might find out something interesting about those around you.