Flying can be fun... sometimes. photo by Frank Gruber
I recently stumbled upon JoAnna Haugen’s blog post, For the Love of the Airport. JoAnna is one of those adventurous travelers who has seen many parts of the world I still only dream of reaching one day, from rural Kenya to the Inca Trail. I didn’t expect she would share my odd enjoyment of… flying. If YOU have a special place in your heart for not just traveling but flying, you must read her post.
And if you hate to fly, and I know so many do – read her post anyway. JoAnna’s optimism is contagious. Think security lines are bad? Of course they are. Airline tickets far too expensive? Yep. But JoAnna points out the upsides of flying nowadays, too, like the ability to check in for your flight remotely, free wifi at many airports and on some airplanes, and the vast expansions of route options, opening up the world to eager travelers.
In truth, I’m scared to fly. A lengthy decade has passed since the days when I could get onto a passenger jet without the assistance of a mild sedative. But once I am able to get past the fear of crashing (which I realize is completely irrational compared to the risks with, for instance, driving down an interstate highway), I truly enjoy the experience. I fly rarely (maybe twice per year) and if I’m lucky, I find myself savoring the experience. There are rituals that come with flying, and there are tastes and smells that I cannot help but associate with my earliest travels as a young adult, and with travel itself. The little rituals of narrowing down the packing list to ensure everything fits into my modest-sized carry-on, searching for the perfect magazine to buy pre-flight, arranging all of my “essentials” once I’m in my cozy coach seat (Kleenex, lip balm, iPod, water bottle, etc.) Waiting for the beverage cart and mulling the choice of coffee or tomato juice as if it is as consequential as choosing a name for my first-born. Lingering on each page of Harper’s Bazaar to pass the time. The rising anticipation when my ears start popping on the descent, and my destination is near.
Happy travels.
More on the web: Check out JoAnna Haugen’s travel blog at Kaleidoscope Wandering.
{ 1 trackback }
{ 0 comments… add one now }