It's not the fear of flying or anything, it's just that I'm physically incomortable on most public transportation, planes included. I'm six and a half feet tall and not exactly slender so fitting my big ass on seats designed for normal people can be a challenge. But, today I lucked out and got the emergency exit seat so I've got leg room for days and a couple of wonderfully nice people to chat with in the seats next to me. That always makes traveling a little easier.
In my opinion the hassle of travel is a small price to pay for the enjoyment of the trip. Not traveling because you don't like airports would be like giving up sex because you don't like condoms. Becasue, let's be real, even when it's bad it's still good.
I flew into Chicago for my connecting flight a few hours ago and as we came into the airport we flew just past downtown and got a great view of all the buildings. The sprawling landscape of metal and concrete butted up against the lake is a sight that gets taken for granted far too often. It is incredibly impressive. All of that was created by people. The juxtaposition between man made structures and the natural world is stark. A couple hundred years ago there was nothing there except trees and tributaries and now there are millions of people stacked on top of each other in office buildings and apartment complexes. Trying to imagine all the planning and work that went into making the Chicago skyline is mind boggling.
I say that as I sit on a metal tube with windows and wings that takes me from Chicago to Austin, a distance of roughly 1000 miles, in the matter of a couple of hours while listening to Fall Out Boy on my headphones that pair wirelessly to my cell phone in the seat pocket in front of me like none of that is impressive.
I have been trying to travel as much as possible recently as part of my search for my place in life. I had a concern that part of the reason that I never felt like I had a plan or purpose was that I had not experienced enough yet. So, I resolved to travel and experience life more. More cities, more people, more different opportunities to discover thing that I may like or may hate. There is only one way to find out if you like or hate something. You have to try it first.
I may be a little behind the curve in that respect. As a 32 year old, I feel like many people have done essentially what I'm doing right now a little bit earlier in their lives. But, I spent the second half of my 20s in a committed relationship and working a million hours a week at a job in attempt to "build a life" for myself and significant other. Needless to say, that didn't work out. I wonder sometimes if I was chasing a life that I didn't really want and maybe that is why I was never truly happy while I was working on it. And as I continue down that rabbit hole I wonder if maybe that was why she and I didn't work out.
But that's old news. Wondering "what if" can be a massive waste of time. "What will be?" Is a question that holds far more interest for me right now.
Onward and upward. I am looking forward to the rest of this trip and I'm hoping it will spur more stories for me to write about on here. Only one way to find out.....
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