Lots of Traveling!

Ok, so maybe not a lot, however, I did travel home on Friday evening. Easy drive to LAX, easily got through security (thank goodness they didn’t try to put me through the x-ray machine!), and then easily found my gate. I read while I waited to board, managed to fit both of my carry-on items in the overhead compartment (here’s a tip: If you have a purse, and you want to have two carry on items, leave enough room in one to fit your purse in, that way, you can still have your purse under your seat without having the trouble of not having any leg room), and sat down, ready to sleep until I landed in Charlotte, my one stop on the way home.

I love red-eyes for the sheer fact that I can fall asleep in one state and wake up in another. However, we hit extraordinarily bad turbulence about an hour into the flight. It was so bad, it had me on the edge of my seat, gripping onto the arm rests with white knuckles, and I’m a pretty seasoned, pretty calm traveler. It was scary, but allowed me to see something I have never seen before, a beauty which I cannot believe I have missed out on in the past (and obviously, I’m safe, so it was totally worth the bumpy wake-up call): a clear, star-filled sky. And between the few lights on the ground and the huge amount of stars, it was hard to tell where the earth stopped and the sky began. It was breathtakingly beautiful and it felt like I was flying gently through space. I cannot even describe the wonder that filled my heart at the sight. I didn’t know if I was going to be alright, but I did know I had just witnessed something extraordinarily ordinary.

I forget about the stars sometimes, living in Los Angeles. There are always lights and smog, so they only come into my consciousness when I’m looking for them, or when one happens to piece through the thickness of LA pollution. I can’t wait to be in Sub-Saharan Africa, able to see every star in the sky, the beauty in the calm. Although, right now, I would give anything to be back in LA. As much as I love my family, I really, truly feel comfortable in LA. I know the freeways, my friends are there, and the sunshine and warmth are so inviting.

There was more turbulence another hour or so later, worse than the first time because we were flying through the middle of a rainstorm. I literally just sat in my seat talking to myself “I want to see my mom. I want to see my dad. I want to see Brendan,” over and over again. It was a bit of a calming mantra. Although I say that I am ready to die, sometimes, in those moments of clarity, I know I have so much more that I can give with whatever time is given to me.

Also, my brother graduates high school tomorrow! So then he starts his life’s adventure (even though he is not as much of a traveler as I am).

Have a great week!