I love flying.  Something happens when I step into an airplane.  My heart beats faster and my palms grow clammy as I anticipate the journey and destination.  Buckling myself in tightly, I sit back in wonder over the invention of flight.  It’s fascinating and truly amazing that we can move around the world so quickly and for the most part, comfortably.

Gorgeous!

As the roar of the engine builds up and the intensity of speed increases, I relax.  The window seat is my favorite.  As we climb higher, lifting above the pearly, white clouds, my spirit is welcomed.  Souring high and fast at 35,000 feet, I gain perspective as I am forced to slow down.  All my worries, fears, and anxieties slip away with the jet stream.   On a clear day, I see the tiny world below.  Cities turn into anthills, while the magnificent tapestry of the layered landscape jumps into focus.  From this view, my problems grow small.  Again, I am reminded of my size in this world.  I am but a tiny star in the galaxies of creation.

“You haven’t seen a tree until you’ve seen its shadow from the sky.”

~ Amelia Earhart

I sense that I’m not the only one that enjoys flying.  People around me, from all walks of life, seem to let their shoulders down when they rise above the ground.  As we are forced to unplug from everydayness, many envelop this space as a gift.  Some catch up on much needed sleep, while others dive into the passionate world of words.  Reading and writing (real writing) takes place.  Dreams and ideas take flight.  For a tiny while, we experience what it’s like to just “be.”

“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, “Roughing It”

Last week I flew to Tennessee.  Along the way, I met a beautiful and eclectic group of strangers; each with a story and each with a different destination.  Yet, for a few hours, we shared life together; through conversation and through quiet time.  Through smiles and tears, we shared a child’s first experience of flight.  We witnessed a mother caring for her newborn, who undoubtedly rested in a deep seeded peace, knowing all would be well.

Playing in the Clouds

On my return flight, I met a man.  For a short while, we shared deep, wonder-filled conversation.  We cut through the small talk and wrestled with the real, authentic, “unknowing” parts of life.  We talked about God, the Bible, family, chemo therapy, building prisons (his occupation), and making eye contact with some of the worst of the worst in modern humanity.  The conversation was real.  Challenging, yet fulfilling.  The strange part about strangers is that they’re not so strange after all.  Yet, our modern times have hurried our pace, leaving us little room to interact with those in front of us, all the time, every day.  Our conversation that day was a blessing to my life.  Our words will remain with me for some time.

Flying reminds me that I don’t have all things figured out, and that that’s perfectly alright.  It teaches me to rise above, to see everything from a new view, in order to gain perspective and clarity.  It inspires me to keep going, to keep looking, and to keep curious.  It asks me to just live, and to live well.

“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.”

~ Leonardo Da Vinci

I love flying.  How about you?

We made it to Whistler!

Jeremy and I had the opportunity to take some time off and travel into British Columbia this past week for our four year wedding anniversary.  We stayed in Whistler our first night, and then ventured into Vancouver to experience a bit of Canada’s city life.

During our eight hour trip, there were several things that happened that made us question our decision to head north.  The sky was blanketing the roadway in a brilliant blue, as the majestic mountains stood firm in the distance.  In reaction to the gorgeous scenery, I quickly grabbed the camara out of my purse to capture the sight.  To my dismay, I discovered that the lens was stuck, making a unwelcoming clicking sound.  After some struggle and frustration, we realized that sand must have blown into the opening during my girls weekend on the coast.  At the time, I felt incredibly guilty and sad that we were facing the possibility of crossing into Canada without any way to document our journey on the road.  The situation definitely turned our car atmosphere sour for the next hour.  Fortunately, we were able to find a Walmart, which carried a decent camera replacement. 

Once we were back on the road, our spirits began to lighten up again.  The sky seemed a bit brighter as we grew closer to entering a country we were so eager to explore.  As I turned around to get a snack from the back seat, Jeremy suddenly slammed on the brakes, making my seat belt lock firmly against my neck.  Apparently, the driver in the lane to our right, swerved heavily over the line, nearly colliding with our front side.  According to Jeremy, he missed us by inches.  Whew, that could have been disastrous.  And honestly, I don’t think the other driver even had a clue! 

After much anticipation, we finally crossed over the border.  We soon realized (pardon the cliche) that we weren’t in Kansas anymore.  The roadways quickly became narrow and fast as they encompassed a European resemblance.  With 30 minutes into Canada, we came to rest at a stoplight.  As we patiently watched for the green light, the driver behind us decided that she could no longer wait to enter the left turn lane.  As she clumsily turned the wheel, she must have stepped on the accelerator a bit too fast.  Bam, bam!  Jeremy and I looked at each in disbelief.  Did she just hit us?  Oh my goodness, YES, and she’s not stopping!  Truthfully, we had no idea what to do.  For a moment, Jeremy switched the flashers on and was preparing to pull off to the side, but we soon realized that we had just experienced a hit and run. 

After some discussion, we decided not to report the incident.  It may not have been the right decision, however we were so incredibly ready to just make it to our destination.  

Finally, after a very long day and nearly eight hours of driving, we finally pulled into our hotel in Whistler.  We barely even noticed the beauty around us, as we felt extremely exhausted and annoyed.  Why did we decide to go on this trip anyway?

The next few days were filled with more ups than downs.  After all, we did come to celebrate our marriage.  And honestly, once the dust had settled from our minds and hearts, our eyes were opened to the beauty that is British Columbia.  It is definitely a gem and a must see in North America!  The mountains, the trees, the rivers, and waterfalls.  It was God clearly manifesting Himself in so many ways.

“A journey is like marriage.  The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.”

~John Steinbeck   

As I look back on this trip, I can openly say that we learned a lot.  It was a week full of frustration, anger, and amazing joy.  Hmm, sounds a lot like marriage.    I can’t say that we honestly enjoyed the journey, however seeing something new and being open to learning from it is always worth while.  We ended our week with a visit to some dear friends who now live in Seattle.  After finishing up some of the most amazing salmon we have ever tasted, we headed down for a personal look on the shores of the Puget Sound.  God had created a beautiful sunset just for us to enjoy, which validated the fact that He had us in sight all along.  It was a sound reminder that control over this world is not for us to hold.

“Traveling is a brutality. It forces you to trust strangers and to lose sight of all that familiar comfort of home and friends. You are constantly off balance. Nothing is yours except the essential things – air, sleep, dreams, the sea, the sky – all things tending towards the eternal or what  we imagine of it.”

                                ~Cesare Pavese

What trips have you recently taken?  What kind of emotions and lessons did you experience and learn along the way?