Looking out the window of my American Airlines A320 airplane, I cannot help but be taken back by the view of the clouds. I have been flying in planes since I was three-years-old and every time, I feel like it is a brand new experience. I get butterflies in my stomach while I wait at the gate contemplating if I want the window or the aisle seat. I put on my headphone and play “I Believe I Can Fly” as I take off and stare out the window as if I was in a dramatic movie. I track my flight on the map wishing we could go a little faster and get to the destination a little sooner. I look out the window and get inspired: to write posts like this one, to travel to a farther more exotic place and for some odd reason, to live life a little more.
They say it is about the “Journey not the Destination” and for me that is completely true. Yes, the anticipation to arrive at new and exciting places make the journey all that more fun but I enjoy the plane ride just as much as I enjoy the place I am visiting. Sometimes, your greatest stories about a trip come from the plane rides to and from your destination, rather than the actual city. On planes you are mostly disconnected and have no other choice but to talk to the people you’re with, get much needed sleep or do some thinking. On planes you meet some of the most interesting people in the world, all feeling and experiencing something different.
Let's start off with the greatest stories. What happens on a plane is unique to what happens anywhere else because the resources you have available to deal with different situations is much more limited than when you are on the ground. One day I was on a red-eye flight from California to Florida when an older gentleman began to have a heart attack. Right there in the middle of the plane, they paged doctors, got out the paddles and called for an emergency landing of the plane. We landed somewhere in Alabama and luckily the man lived, but that is a memory I will always keep. I also enjoy playing the miniature-sized board games and coloring in coloring books. When you are confined to a small area and do not want to spend $20.00 for Wi-Fi that’s when the most fun is had. When you need to get creative creating and playing games that you would never play elsewhere because of all the distractions.
Just like the games we play the people you meet on an airplane are unique. Each person has a different life story and reason for being on the flight. If you sit next to someone new or just over hear conversations listen to what people have to say. You might be sitting next to the love of your life, a person in your dream profession or just an interesting person with a story they need to tell. Someone may be going to a funeral of a relative while others to a loved ones wedding. Some are leaving home for the first time while others maybe coming back after time away. Someone is taking the vacation of their dreams and others going on a business trip they are dreading. Some people will be having the best days of their lives and some the worse days. Trust me, I have laughed so hard I almost peed myself and I have cried for three hours on a flight. It all depends on the circumstances and everyone’s experience. Sitting in an airplane with a hundred other strangers might actually be one of the most thrilling places to be.
Looking out the window of my plane out on the clouds, I can’t help but be taken back by the view. I cannot help but embrace the latest story I will have to tell, conversation I will have, and daydreams I will imagine. I eat the airplane peanuts and think of all the new foods I would taste once we land. I take a quick nap and dream of all the sleepless adrenaline filled nights that will come in a few hours. I breathe in the pressurized air of the cabin and think of how blessed I am to see the world one more plane ride at a time.
