Apr 30 2007
Air Travel - A Waking Dream
Air travel is like a waking dream. You are moving from point A to point B yet have no sense of the journey, the distance, the movement.
International air travel exaggerates this. Your senses are hammered and dulled by the constant roar of the engines, the thrumming of machinery. You are no longer in control - outside forces are now managing your destiny.
If you manage to sleep during a flight dreams are hazy and indeterminate. You know you slept because of the stiffness in your neck or the change in entertainment or the meal being served is different than the last one. Time seems to hold little meaning - you left at 10am, you land at 7:20pm. Yet may have lost a day, gained a day or broke even.
The few plane rides I’ve been on in my time haven’t been great experiences! I never was able to sleep on the plane…
Though, my last plane ride to boston was pretty neat because there was lightning under us in the clouds. It was cool to see.
Air travel … it’s just nail in the eye fun!
Gregg: Economy class isn’t that much fun and it has gotten less fun over the years between the increased security and no or little food on flights due to airlines’ financial woes.
Shane: Sounds like you’re picking up the Q-isms! and maybe have traveled a bit yourself?
You put into words what I have always thought, that one doesn’t have a sense of movement through a journey when one uses a plane for travel. You get in the plane, then in a few hours you get out of it in a different place. There’s no sense of movement.
At times I have seen a fly inside the plane and have wondered if he feels like he is lost after being transported many hundreds of miles.
part of the experience is the reason for travel. if it’s for business, it definitely has a high probability of becoming nail in the eye fun, or else seriously freaky shit.
if it’s for pleasure, the journey becomes not so much of a chore. still, you can end up with interesting experiences, such as the international flight i took w/my mother where she had the middle seat. she said afterwards that she felt like the cheese in a melted cheese sandwich. now, when we’re seeming a little crowded, we can say to each other “cheese?” and get an acknowledging response of “cheese.” we know what we’re refering to, but should anyone overhere, they will not be in the know.
i had another time when i got picked out as the last one to get the extra search right before getting on the plane. kinda annoying. i ended up being the last to board.
oh, and i’ve found travelling while wearing sandals to be crucial to survivability. they can be slipped of easily to go through security, slipped back on w/o having to sit down, and can come on and off on the plane very easily as well.
Jake: inneresting thought about the fly. I also wonder if animals and insects get disoriented.
ack: While I don’t tend to get upset with things that don’t go to plan while traveling, I would think that I’d feel more stress during personal travel (vacation) than with business travel and only because on vacation travel it’s on my dime!
I wear my running shoes during air travel. Easy to slip on and off. Yes, Crocs are great as well but I like the arch support on my running shoes. Plus I can run!