Flying

In Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, an extraterrestrial confuses cars for Earth’s dominant life form.  So if cars are the dominant life forms, then airplanes are their cruel overlords. 

Carried in a “cruel overlord” 37 000 ft. above the ground, it seems as if the world is carved out of modeling clay.  The mountains are picture perfect with their sharp peaks covered by a light dusting of snow.  Only, since I am viewing them from above, I can also see how the streams drain off the mountains and coalesce into silvery serpentine rivers in the valleys. 

When I look out the window later, I see a patchwork quilt of fields.  There are green squares, brown squares, red squares, and yellow squares.  Each square has a different pattern: stripes, alternating colours and squiggles.  Some have a silvery strip of satin running through their perimeter.  This is the only way I have ever seen the prairie—from above. 

My Carry-On

For all my anxiety earlier, flying alone has been delightful.  People always seem to be happy when they are traveling.  In the Atlanta airport, waiting for my last flight to Ft. Lauderdale, I was struggling with a pay phone trying to call home.  I had written detailed instructions of how to call collect, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t get a dial tone.  How hard could it be?  Eventually, I asked a fellow traveler for help.  However, even our combined efforts couldn’t make the phone work.  So, the nice lady lent me her cell phone for my long-distance call home.  

After a long day of traveling, I finally arrived in Florida.  As I walked out of the airport at ten pm, I could feel the heat and humidity push against me like a tangible pressure.  Welcome to Florida: land of the snowbirds, everglades, and golf courses. 

The Day Before Departure

Tomorrow, I am flying for the first time by myself.  First stop in the trip: Delray Beach, Florida to visit my great aunt and uncle.  Several months ago, when the trip seemed far away, I offered to fly to Florida before the rest of the family; I thought I would be ready to leave sooner.   So, I get to spend a lovely three days with my aunt and uncle just to myself.   My parents and Georgie will fly out to meet me in Florida on the tenth. 

 I have flown without my parents before, but I had always had airport personnel hold my hand and guide me from gate to gate.  Tomorrow, I will be changing planes twice and navigating four airports—three of which I am completely unfamiliar with. 

While I can’t wait for my adventure to start, I am apprehensive about the first step.  I am worried I will be unable to find my gates, although I have taken copious notes.  I am anxious that I will be hassled about traveling with my violin.  My nerves are also created in part because I have a fear of flying.  My theory is that this particular fear stems from my “dislike” of heights.  Even though I know everything will be fine, I am still apprehensive.

I think that perhaps the nervous butterflies are breeding with the excited butterflies to create a new breed of super bug that will fly from my stomach and out my nose. 

As I write this, the sun is streaming through the windows in my room.  There is nary a cloud in the sky—it is a brilliant azure.  Outside my window, the sunshine is giving the leaves a shimmering halo of golden light.  I can’t believe I am leaving my beautiful country in ~19 hours. 

Even though I am nervous and frazzled (is there anything I’ve forgotten?), I am filled with excitement about traveling.  As my friends start school today, I am congratulating myself on my choice of taking a gap year.  And I’m thrilled it’s finally starting.