On a big jet plane...

Photo taken by me on the way from Dubrovnik to London, 2010.

You know those people who are absolutely terrified of flying? Like even just the thought of the confined space, the ear popping as the plane takes off, the anxiety of being so high up and the possibility of falling out the sky (probably heightened now by the Malaysia Airlines plane mystery-media sensationalism) is just too much for them to even think about? 

I'm not one of those people. 

I love flying. I always have done. And I've done a lot of it being that my family are spread all over the country and I just, ooh aah, love to travel. But there's just something incredibly exciting to me about flying. My parents often recant one of my very early flying experiences. I can't remember if we were off to Bali for a family holiday or to Melbourne for a family visit but either way it was about 4 in the morning, and I was about 3 years old. For 3 year old me, the excitement of being on a plane and going wherever we were going was a much more external expression than the internal one I have now. I took it upon myself to share this excitement with my fellow passengers as we embarked the plane by holding my little arms out like an aeroplane and singing "Up in the air, I fly, zoom, zoom, a-zoom a-zoom zoom!" (a PlaySchool hit at the time) at the top of my lungs. I'm sure had all the passengers not thought I was particularly hilarious in this expression, they would have really hated me.  

But, still after 27 years and countless domestic and international flights, after airport dramas and lost luggage, after crazy turbulence and added luggage fees, after horrible microwaved meals and almost missing flights, after sleeping (or not sleeping) on airport seats at 2am and the many teary farewells - I still absolutely love flying. 

I love me an inflight gin & tonic!

I love packing my bag, planning what I'm going to take in my hand luggage, choosing a book to keep me company (which I'll most probably ditch for the inflight entertainment if there is any). I love checking in at the airport, watching all of the other people and wondering where they're heading to. I love getting into my seat and waiting with anticipation to be up in the sky. I love looking out of the window and seeing the world below, the patterns of the vast landscapes below. I love looking down on the top of the clouds. Ofcourse I love the free gin and tonics (when they're free), that always seems to be my inflight beverage of choice. And most of all I love the destination. I love being somewhere else, even if just for a few days. Whether it's an all too familiar visit with much missed family or a brand new holiday destination, once I step on to a plane, I feel like I'm on holiday and I feel instantly relaxed. 

There will be a few plane trips this year, as has become quite normal for me; one for family, one for work and one in just a few short days for a much needed mini break with MR. And I can't effing wait! Looking forward to bringing you a few snaps from our holiday on my return.  

Selamat tinggal!