Tuesday, July 27, 2010

View from the Clouds

I tend to blog a lot when I travel. I think this is because I am most inspired when I'm away from the office and my "regular life."

I am a very routined person, so of course I have my own personal travel rules that I adhere to for each trip: carry on bags only, bring a sweater, a bottle of water and a Lara bar, sit as close to the front of the plane as possible, and ALWAYS choose a window seat.



The window seat - not generally known as the best seat in the house - is my most important frequent flier staple, as I tend to have the best moments of inspiration and creativity while staring out the window of a commercial jetliner.


From this seat I have launched a new business, developed a book idea, resolved relationships and found clarity on personal goals. Also from this alternative viewpoint I have seen much of America: the Grand Canyon, the winding Mississippi River, the Colorado Rockies, sunsets that last for hours and impending weather patterns that will be featured in the next day's news. I've imagined the people who live on the perfectly circumferenced farmland I can see throughout the midwest, whose lives must be so amazingly different from mine.


It is truly remarkable how different the world looks from 37,000 miles up- and this noticeable change in perspective is necessary from time to time.


Many people see air travel as a means to an end: a vehicle to take them to their destination. But I see it as more of a haven: a place to unplug, catch up on reading, write, be creative. And my window seat is a sure bet into this unlikely Mecca.

Written from seat 20F, United Airlines flight 116 from Los Angeles to Chicago.






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