The View from Here

Alaska Airlines, Flight 1, DC to Seattle

Staring out my window at the various landscapes of the country from 15,000 feet above, I wonder if it'll look as magical from on the ground. I recall various road trips winding around mountain ranges wondering, if at the next bend, I'll finally feel like we got some headway to our destination. Perhaps it was the anxiety to be at whatever event I was going to, or perhaps it was because I wanted to do anything to just get out of the car. Perhaps it was before learning the phrase, "it's about the journey, not the destination." Ha, I don't think this applied to the 5-hour road trips from San Francisco to Black Rock City in the middle of the night at the end of summer.

Luckily, I can wholeheartedly say, even though I am only a few hours into my journey so far, I'm having a great time. I'm sitting comfortably in a bulk head seat, munching on a Cougar Mountain cookie, option for a free cocktail (thanks to my new MVP Gold status), and free wifi. My work laptop isn't working, so I have to use my personal one, and nothing of any real significance I can do for work from here. Shucks, Facebook it is. And what an amazing invention it has become.

Comment from a dear former colleague back in San Francisco on my status about my draft road trip itinerary so far, discovering that we will actually be in the same general area (Idaho/Montana/Wyoming) at the same time. Yes, I am counting three states as the same general area given that we do live across the country from each other. We are going opposite directions (he and his family going west and I going east), we can intersect at Yellowstone. They will be staying at their cabin at the entrance to Yellowstone, and even better, they have space for me to stay. Talk about serious score! Get to see old friends and their sons whose pictures I've been admiring over the years, get a place to stay, and get to see the Old Faithful Geyser.

Ironically, I was actually considering skipping Yellowstone, but I guess this was just meant to be. Part of the beauty of not having a set itinerary is being open to these gems of opportunities.