Travel and Airline "Perks"

From my seat I could see this brilliant bright blue lining the horizon. That blue then faded to a darker blue and then almost to an inky black sky filled with blazing, bright white dots. Flying to me is still a very peaceful thing, because it feels incredibly timeless. Soaring above daily life and across time zones feels almost surreal, especially when thinking about cruising inside of a metal tube above the clouds. I will never tire of flying. The quiet moments, the sunsets and sunrises, those are times when I love gazing at the world below. Problems seem to melt away into the horizon, and I almost forget where I am and what was bothering me. One moment just fades into the next, and before you know it you're somewhere else.

Although at times I could do without the crowds of people, crying infants, and seat backs reclined inches from my face, I still love to fly when I can. Window seats, early morning departures, or late night and quiet flights make most disturbances fade to the background. The smell of warm chocolate chip cookies seems to ease discomforts too. Even though we cruise above daily life below, the creature comforts of life on firm ground still exist. At times, the cookies and television on board the plane take away from the often peaceful experience of flying. Daily distractions or not, flying is such a peaceful thing for me.

Instead of a bright blue horizon, after the sun sets I enjoy the stars from a higher altitude than usual. Funny how they feel so close when you're sitting in the window seat. At times it's almost like you can reach out and touch a star or a cloud. Sometimes it's so easy to lose track of time and place while on board an airplane. Before I know it, I'll be driving myself home after spending time in the sky. For a moment, I almost forget that I just left my husband and am heading home without him. At times, it feels as if we're still together. Flying does that to me, and I welcome the quiet time to think about life and reflect on life below the clouds.

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It is highly likely that I was born with an uncontrollable a tiny bit of a travel bug. I typically enjoy adventures, discoveries, and learning about new locations. For me, a big perk* of being married to a pilot is not just travel opportunities, but it's an opportunity to stretch outside of my comfort zone once in a while. Doing things that are not always comfortable force me to learn and grow. When things get too predictable, our life changes in drastic ways. For example, my husband's new job is taking us to Florida. While I've always enjoyed the water, beach, and sun, I had no idea that Florida would be my home some day. This travel bug is more of a learning bug for me, and I never intend to stop learning.

* An additional perk, of knowing people working in aviation, is when you board a flight that a flight attendant friend happens to be working. It also helps when they may or may not give you a free mimosa, or two. Not to mention the free DirectTV they may or may not have given you for free. All of the above things make flights just a little more smooth.