Flying is way better when you don't do it 20 times per year. (from 6.18.11)

Flying is way better when you don't do it 20 times per year.

This flying experience is so lovely. I used to love flying and planes.  I am now reminded that I still do.  Travelling hundreds of miles over the mass of ground that we call Earth.  I'm only travelling a very short distance over this globe - New York City to Charlotte, North Carolina.  I enjoy the sights and the sounds of the airport.  Seeing people from all over the world meet in one place for one purpose - to go somewhere.  Once on the plane, you spend an hour or fourteen with a stranger, whom could become your new best friend or a passing individual with whom not two words are spoken.

Once when I was flying back to Charlotte, NC from somewhere, I met this lady that lived in South Charlotte.  I must have just moved to Charlotte because she kinda felt bad for me that I didn't have any family there.  She gave me her name and email and said I should let her know if I need anything. I should have emailed her.  She was a very nice lady.  I remember she had a cat because she was asking me about my baby cat, and somehow we were talking about cat litter.  I just remembered her saying "no, you need to change the cat litter every day."  I do not.  I changed every like 4-7 days, but till this day, whenever I'm changing the cat litter, I think of my airplane friend and try to do more often so that my cat has a comfortable box situation.

I came across the lady's information maybe a year later and threw it away.  I should have reached out.

...


My flight attendant today, her name is Theresa.

Oh, did I mention?!  I got upgraded to first class!  woohoo!!  I got Silver Preferred on US Airways after making a million trips last year for work NASCAR weekends. The unfortunate part last year was that I was always on the plane with the rest of the NASCAR "high school class"  which included among race executives and weekend travelling crews, reporters who went to the races every single weekend giving them much higher status than me.  I never got upgraded last year when I was flying all the time.

This year, I'll maybe fly 3 or 4 times in the year, but that's quite okay.  I'll enjoy my little trip upgrades this year, and next year be glad to sit in coach and not feel the pressure that I feel now to drink alcohol because I'm in first and it's free!  One mojito in, and a coffee with bailey's at my side. :-)

I wouldn't let you down.

Back to Theresa, I'm quite curious if she takes advantage of being able to fly free anywhere she wants as a flight attendant.  I wonder if she has a travelling heart or if this is just her job to pay the electric bill.  hmm.  maybe a little of both.  I sure hope she takes advantage and goes to a tropical beach at least once a year, interspered by domestic jaunts and European tours.

I love looking through the airline magazine - not the sky mall, but the airline-provided, edited magazine.  It always has the best articles about travel around the globe.  The writers do a great job, because I'm already thinking about where I want to make my next trip.  #marketing if you know what I'm saying.

I don't know how some people can't like or want to travel.  I'm trying to get my little brother to go to Montreal with me for my birthday, though, I don't think he actually will.  He has been to New York City in a car to visit me and he has been to California when he was younger.  He has been to the surrounding Georgia states, but that's about it.  There is something about travel that opens up the senses and brings about curiosities.  Travel envokes intrigue and understanding.  My brother had a great time when he was in NYC and I just know that he would love it if he would come.  Both my brothers love discovering , as we all should.  I'm not sure why it's so hard to get out from underneath the normal and standard draws of life.

I can't recall at what age I fell in love with flying.  I remember going to California to visit family when I was in middle or high school.  I should thank my mom for those trips and the Atlanta-Harsfield airport for their kickass tram system (I used to love that thing and my brothers [age 29 and 20 yo still to this day] would always want to sit in the front of the train).

omgosh, i just spotted a dude to my diagonal in first clas who has a stack of trash in his hands to throwaway.  One of the items is a box of CANDY CIGARATTES!!!  yes!! AWESOME!!  who buys though?!  who that rides in first classs buys candy cigarettes?!  thank you, sir.  good job.  OH OH OH it's two boxes of candy cigarettes. and an empty bag of beef jerky.  :-) see!?  the possibilities are endless in-air.