As we climb to our cruising altitude, l glance out the window and notice the rising late summer sun glistening off a river below. A few seconds later the river empties into a big lake that beckons boaters to enjoy a day on the water. Over in a distant corner of the patch of water, a swath of green hugs the shore — a rare sight in the desert north of the Valley of the Sun.
I’m less than ten minutes into my flight to the east coast and already inspired by the scene 30,000 feet below me. My headphones block out the sounds of fellow passengers typing furiously as they squeeze a day of work into an already busy travel day. I relax as I enjoy my personal Amazon Playlist filled with songs I love. It’s grown to just over seven hours of music I can listen to over and over again. Usually I sing along as I go about my day, but not today. I don’t think the other flyers on this jet would appreciate my slightly off key tones.
Kenny Chesney belts out a ditty about a pirate flag as we cross the mountains and head into the skies over New Mexico. It’s mostly clear up ahead, just a layer of haze barely obscuring the curvature of the earth.
The sun is almost too bright above the clouds. I raise the shade and glance out often, but keep it closed to doze and let my mind wander. At one point I notice two rivers converging beneath the scattered popcorn-like puffs of white. I think it’s south of St Louis where the mighty Mississippi forks. Later, when I log into the wifi, I confirm my guess. I’ve driven the bridge across that expanse of farmland and navigable waterway.
The flight attendants come by one last time to offer a beverage. I greedily gulp down a full cup of water, thirsty in the dehydrating air of the cabin.
When the captain comes on with his “just 30 more minutes to go” announcement I slide the shade up to watch the final leg of the flight. My headphones remind me to “follow your arrow wherever it points” and I grin at the thought.
After all … there’s a whole world out there just waiting to be explored and I have no intention of stopping anytime soon.
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