Free to fly

Recently flying has literally been such a headache for me. I have never really been a fan of flying but lately I am even more loathed to fly. My job generally requires flying all over the globe but I have managed to negotiate that I don’t travel too frequently. People often gasp in disbelief when I tell them that I prefer to NOT jet set all over the globe & buy fabulous fashion samples & see what’s trending in foreign cities. I always realize how blessed I am but blessings often comes with sacrifice & nothing is ever exactly how we would like for it to be….

The pros are often accompanied by cons & we must always try to find the balance in how we view each & every situation so that we remain positive & grounded.

The fact is that I hate being away from home! I also hate airports & luggage lugging & check in counters. I hate boarding gates & removing my laptop at the metal detectors. I hate always making sure I know where my boarding pass is & making sure I have all my bits & pieces on my person. I don’t much fancy standing in boarding lines & lifting hand luggage into overhead compartments that are filled to the brim. I am REALLY not a fan of connecting flights especially at massive airports like Hong Kong international that is the size of a small town. Running from point A to point B with bags in tow, flapping paperwork & customs checkpoints! Sweating when the transit time is just too short & the lines at the customs checkpoints are snaking like the lines at a Justin Bieber concert.

I feel much more relaxed once I am actually on board the plane, baggage stowed, and seatbelt fastened & the air hostess is serving the drinks. I quite like airplane food J

I don’t much fancy the cold air in the cabin or the dropping altitude & rising cabin pressure BUT I do like the buzzing of the engines & I am blessed to be able to move around comfortably & also curl up in the tiniest airplane seats because I have the build of a 13 year old child. I can sleep in the midst of a thunderstorm if I know that I don’t have to ninja jump up to see to a calling child, crying baby or barking dog.

Soaring above the clouds in a big metal bird is not great BUT I am always reminded how absolutely blessed I am to be able to rise into the heavens safely & descend hopefully the same way. When I am far above the clouds, when I am not dosing off due to the low hum of the engines, I am staring out at the sunlit sky amongst the clouds & marveling at the wonder that is life.

That God has given us the ability to build machines that can take us across seas & continents & allow connection with people from all over the world. We have so much freedom to go just where we please if we are by the financial means & explore the sites & sounds of the vast expanse of land that we call our home. That we are able to meet with people from different cultures, religions & ethnicities.

And then, with the addition of social media, we are able to maintain those connections & stay updated with what our new friends are doing a million miles away across the globe.

How absolutely phenomenal!

My husband often complains & tells me that he would love to go travelling & see the world. He has never in his 38 years left South African soil & his heart yearns to explore other countries & continents.

Maybe someday we will be by the means to be able to do this together. Travel across the globe, experience travel mania together! Share the adventures of frequent flyers & drink in the sights & sounds of the globe. Let’s just put that out there! Universe, are you listening?

In the mean time, I will continue to do my little business trips when I need to. Soar, cruise & descend & connect from flight A to flight B.

Each time I come home & the pilot announces that we are about to descend & informs us what the temperature is on the ground with the window blinds open I stare out at the breathtaking sight before me. The plane side lunges gently across Table Bay & the Atlantic seaboard, the song “Welcome to Cape Town” always plays in my head.  I am so grateful to be back in the city I call home. To see the expanse of blue ocean before me, the mountain to the side & the lush green Mother city nestled in between I say Amen. Thanking God for bringing me back safely to my family & the place I know & love.

How blessed I am. Just a colored girly from the Cape Flats making a mark on the big wide world…. A human being with a mission & a purpose & the freedom to fly…..