Flying has become a custom commodity in today’s world. The gift of flight given to us by the Wright Brothers has provided what very few people could see by ship before the 1900s. A flight from New York to London is 7 hours. A trip like that back in the 1700s would take months! I am not sure when the world become so un-amazed by flying, but I will tell you, the gift of flight is one of the greatest gifts this world has ever received. Here are some reasons why I love flying in this day of high security, angry, travel-tired customers, and communicable diseases exchanging continents.
1. Airports are gathering places.
Coming, going, running, sleeping. Airports have an energy all their own. With carts carrying luggages, sleepy business travelers checking in, to families running to meet connecting flights, there is always a feeling like something is about to happen. It is exhilarating. It bums me out that in order to enter an airport nowadays you need to be flying. If that were not the case I would spend my days hanging out in airports; talking to people, writing, reading, enjoying the atmosphere of the hustle and bustle of world travelers.
2. Anything can happen on a flight.
So we often here in the news how disruptive travelers are getting kicked off flights for being rude and creating unsafe situations, but what about the really awesome things? I remember seeing a video posted online about the Disney cast of the “The Lion King” musical serenading a jet full of people in Australia. And yesterday on my short flight from Minneapolis to Milwaukee I had a flight attendant who made the safety demonstration fun by dancing to show where the exits were and made quirky faces. It was awesome and definitely put a smile on my face.
3. You are 30,000 feet above the earth.
Okay, maybe not Space high, but 30,000 feet in a large metal contraption that weighs more than 200,000 pounds…there is no argument about how phenomenal that is. Next time you have the opportunity to sit in a window seat just watch the Earth pass by underneath you. It is breathtaking the amount of square fields, mountains, and cities you will see.
4. Oh, the people you’ll meet.
I have met some extremely nice (and extremely rude) and friendly people in airports. It is nice to hear people’s travel stories, from dreams to nightmares. I once met a couple who really enjoyed baseball and were from Nova Scotia. They were traveling to Texas to meet their grandchild for the first time. They shared with me that they had recently received over two feet of snow. It was April. Though the conversation wasn’t life changing, it was a nice way to pass the time, and we had the opportunity to talk about education and how healthy play is important for a child’s mental and physical growth.
5. Airports are filled with stories.
You see people from all over the world coming together to experience new things or see old things. People who are navigating the world through a translation book and maps. People who are returning from war overseas. People who are leaving for war overseas. People who are rushing home to see family and friends. People who are just putting a bag on their back and going out to find something or themselves. It doesn’t matter where they are going, it is just that they are going somewhere. They each have a story. Sometimes they feel like sharing, other times they don’t, most of it is up to you to write.
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