"The air up there in the clouds is very pure and fine, bracing and delicious."

..And why shouldn't it be? - it is the same the angels breathe.  ~Mark Twain

One of my favorite feelings is the moment you feel the front wheels of an airplane lift off the runway, the nose elevating toward the sky. The rumble penetrates the seats as the wind howls, vibrating the windows. The plane tilts itself, gracefully leaning on its side displaying a show of lights, lush green squares, rows of dollhouses, pools, cars the size of ants, canopies of fog hugging hills and mountains. My heart rises in altitude, whether embarking toward unchartered territory or returning to the embrace of a familiar bed, familiar face... the homestead. 


It's the feeling of leaving behind baggage to spread those aluminum wings and soar with the birds as the A.C. flows through your hair, never quite allowing for optimal body temperature. As the Earth disappears underneath blankets of clouds, life feels weightless, worry-less, and limitless. Under toes and backpacks lie places to explore and strangers to encounter. Mind, body, and heart accelerate with the aircraft engine. It is a steadfast journey into the unknown. 


Safety first though, as there are always rules and regulations when it comes to the abyss. Keep you seatbelt buckled when told to do so. Though seatbelts may not appear 'cool' or 'cozy,' neither is falling on your ass when turbulence sets in. Keep your seat upright for the first ten minutes of the ascent. Sure, you're tired, but who doesn't want to kick back and relax? Give me my uphill climb without your head laying in my crotch. Watch the safety video. Despite having taken over 45 flights, I make it a point to watch for karma's sake. Granted, we will all be bat-shit crazy in the event of an emergency, but at least we'll know that floatation devices may or may not be under the seat and that when oxygen masks drop, put that shit on before worrying about junior and grandpa. 


With all of this in mind, enjoy the flight, take in the ascent as I do... for it's not about the destination, it's about the journey there. 

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