I recently took a trip out to Oregon to visit my family. I worked all summer chasing toddlers just to buy a round trip ticket for one week. I love to travel, but flying is not exactly my favorite thing. You have to deal with TSA, the hustle and bustle of getting to your gate on time, dealing with the possibility of your luggage being lost, sitting in seats that are too small and often times sitting by people you rather not...oh, and two words: crying babies. You also get this weird feeling that you had either gained or lost hours in a day and that only a few hours prior, you were half way across the country.
I got lucky this time. I either had a seat or a whole row to myself and I didn't have to worry about my luggage being lost because I just brought a carry on and there were well behaved adults and children on my flights.
I don't fly a lot, but when I do, I like the window seat. My husband thinks the aisle seats are better, but I disagree. When I fly, I like to look out the window and marvel over God's creation..Earth. Seeing Earth from a plane in my opinion is one of the most amazing things you can see. Think about it. Everyday, most people get into a car, truck or bike and see the land at feet level. People often don't stop and look at the beauty that is around them and appreciate what has been created.
When I am flying, I get to see land from another perspective. The desert in Arizona and the Cascade Mountains look different at 35,000 feet (give or take) than on foot. You get to look down on clouds than look up at them, and those big buildings look tiny from where you are sitting.
On my flights, I would see individuals, mostly business men sitting and typing away on their laptops and not even bothering to look out the window. I would think, is work really that important to not take a moment to reflect on what is around you and look how beautiful the scenery is outside? But maybe they are like my husband who flies often and are too familiar with what our Earth looks like from a birds eye view? Or perhaps they are afraid of heights? :)
When I see something beautiful, I reflect on it. I thank God for his design. It brings me back to reality knowing that I am just a small person on this huge planet and that I am vulnerable and fragile and that any moment, my life can end.
My one wish as I was flying was to see the Golden Gate Bridge in San Fransisco, California from the air. I have been to the bay area many times, but San Fransisco is one of my favorite cities. Which is why I chose to have my layover there. As we took off, I had my eyes peeled and was looking to see if I was sitting on the right side of the plane. The plane turned and there it was!!! It was a sunny day and I could see the Golden Gate Bridge, Alcatraz, and the whole city itself. It was picture perfect, except I didn't have my camera available *sigh*.
Another interesting experience was when I was flying back to Texas it was daylight, but in the horizon, I could see night. Within minutes it went from sunset to darkness. The moon was bright and lit up the sky. The stars were brighter and seemed at an arms length away. With images like these, how can you not stop for a second and appreciate the beauty of what God has created?
So the next time you find yourself sitting on a plane, possibly surrounded by screaming kids or stinky people, just look out the window and reflect on what you see.
What are some of the amazing things you have seen while flying?
