My friend Maggie always asks me what my ‘favorite’ is. She never has a topic or a category, she just wants to know what fills your heart and brings you joy. I’ve learned quickly, that travel days are one of those ‘favorites’ for me.
The plane ride alone is something that fascinates me. I find peace in feeling small in my seat that thousands of people have sat in before. I find comfort in looking out the window while flying over Dubai, seeing the homes and the cars and the lives and the feet that are below me. I love feeling a little closer to the sunrises and sets, the moon and the stars. They remind me how big God is. I love the unknown of the days; new people, new places, new countries for goodness sake! I love the chaos of getting from one place to the next, singing down the escalators, and having heavy eyes from being awake for too long. I love the moment of getting on the plane, seeing the wonder of the 40 year old man to my right looking out the window. I love the moment the plane gets off the ground and you realize you’re literally above the freakin clouds.
Something I really love though, is the people I encounter, and the stories they carry. Airports and airplanes have always been my “favorite,” something about the different cultures and lives and stories fascinates me.
I met a woman who worked at baggage claim and told me it was her last day at work. She had a horrible morning, but said my friendliness was the best part of her day. I met a woman named Moha sitting in front of me on my flight to Dubai. She spoke English, and told me her and her sister-in-law were flying to a conference in Delhi. Moha said she admired my maturity at a young age. I met a flight attendant named Aladdin and he told me if I needed anything he would hop on his magic carpet to serve me.
I met a 73 year old woman from San Fransisco named Carmen. She’s been on 87 cruises and been to 45 countries. She just had knee surgery and was in a wheelchair, but decided to pick up and move to India for 6 months. Carmen and I were the last ones off the plane. I helped her with her bags, and walked with her off the plane as the flight attendant named Serbio, who Carmen thought was very attractive, rolled her to baggage claim. She told me of her adventures, how she’s not afraid to pack her bags and go. She had a love for life, and chose to never settle for what is comfortable. I mean, this woman is literally 73 years old and in a wheelchair, and impulsively bought a ticket to Mumbai, to stay with her friends that she met on a Royal Caribbean cruise last year.
I hope when I’m 73, I’m still choosing to live like Carmen.
I heard a song by Duncan Fellows that says, “So come on, pack your bags. Lets stop talking, let love do the rest. People seem a bit to eager to prepare for the rest of their lives. If you ask me to up and leave, you wouldn’t have to ask me twice.”
I want to live a life like that, a life of love and freedom, a life where I can pack my bags freely and go see what the Lord has next. I’ve learned recently that I learn from experience, and Carmen reminded me that you can choose a life like that. She reminded me to never settle or lose my love for life.
So to wrap this up-
My favorites? They change every day. I have a lot. Most things include adventure and spontaneity and joy. It includes breakfast food and dance parties and sitting around the kitchen table at 3 AM. Stories and hot showers and sometimes Miley Cyrus. Live music and cheddar cheese and summer camp. Joyful tears, feeling nostalgic, and people who are constant. I like people who are raw and have a glass half full kind of attitude. Surprises are my favorite. Airports and planes are my favorite. And people who share their snacks. I like simple things. I like learning things from people you just met, people like Carmen.
Oh, and travel days. Travel days are definitely my favorite.
