Behind the voice of airports and subways..........

You’ve heard her voice across the world, but you’ve probably never acknowledged that there’s a face to go with it. Carolyn Hopkins is the soothing yet authoritative disembodied voice in the sky, booming from public address systems in airports and train stations in dozens of countries.

She delivers words of welcome, safety advice, and sometimes even that dreaded message that your flight is delayed or canceled. And surprisingly, the message isn’t concocted in some faceless laboratory with robotic voices. Instead, Hopkins works the magic of her voiceovers from a modest office in northern Maine.Read more:

“Traveling can be such a bummer these days that people need a friendly voice,” Hopkins tells CBS. And more than 200 airports around the world, as well as the New York City subway, have adopted the 63-year-old’s voice as their official spokeswoman, proving that we all want a little comfort and consistency while traveling.

Hopkins is surely one of the most listened-to voices in the world, secretly famous yet always respected. The next time you’re in a foreign airport, keep an ear on the sky – you might just hear Hopkins’ voice welcoming you. She’ll make you feel at home, no matter how far from it you may be.

Found on @TIME via Twitter