Postcard 016 - The Magic of Flight
No matter how many times I get on a plane, it still feels magical to me.
I step on in one city or coast or country and step off in another. I'm being whisked through the air at hundreds of miles an hour, faster than I could ever imagine moving on my own, at temperatures where my body would shut down. Yet, it's "normal" these days.
I've never been scared of flying, though I have been scared on planes before (thank you turbulence). When I get board, I make peace with the fact that I'm ceding control over my life to a set of people and dozens of machines, hoping that I make it to my destination in close to the same condition that I sat down in, if not better.
Flights tend to be some of my best places to think. Some of it comes from the forced stillness (there are only so many places to go and so many things to do), some of it comes from the lack of distractions, and some of it comes from being cut off from the rest of the world (I've been on a number of flights where the wifi doesn't work, like this transatlantic one pictured). I treasure this time and these experiences, and as I board, I open myself to the universe and embrace whatever the time on the plane offers me.
This year, I'm flying a lot, which has meant a lot of reflective time. Many hours with the Apple Notes app open, a mix of typing and scribbles as I go deeper and deeper into the untapped well that I can somehow only open at 35,000 feet. A friend asked me if the traveling gets exhausting, and while it definitely disrupts my life rhythms compared the comforts of being home, I try to see each flight as an opportunity rather than a burden. It's a chance to go be with a friend, give a talk, or celebrate a wedding. It's a portal to the people that I love and don't see often enough or an experience that I'm excited about.
Yes, it will make me think about my home, my bed, and my normal routines. But it will also give me space away from those things to reflect on them and look at them differently when I return, because I will be different when I return — that's the magic of flight.