Observations Made on an Airplane

I love British accents. I love how they say “shew-jewel” instead of schedule. Fastened sounds like “fah-sind.” Pass sounds like “pah-ss.” Please sounds like “playz.” They say comin’ instead of coming. “There’s chayze comin’ out” = there is cheese coming out. Words I like that we don’t use: whilst, shag, top up, blimey, cheeky, bloke, queue, cheers.

Europeans really know how to drink tea. When you take tea, which is something of a welcome reprieve in each day, much like a smoke break would be to a nicotine fiend, you always get a biscuit or a piece of chocolate (pronounced “chalk-oh-lot”). On the plane it was served to me in a porcelain cup on a purple plate, a round disc of chocolate resting beside a delicate silver spoon. This is my grown up lollipop.

When I order tea at Denny’s (read: IF I ever do), I would love it if the server would ask if I’d like milk and sugar with it. They asked (“ahh-sked”) me that on the plane. I found it positively delightful. I mean, have you ever tried tea with milk and sugar? It’s brilliant!

I was given a tube of Cowshed lip balm. It’s got linden blossom and rose geranium in it and tastes like a forest on my lips.

Looking out the window, much like a child looks with anticipation upon winter’s first snow, I noticed the most glorious sunset. It was ducking behind the clouds as if it were playing a game of hide and seek with only me. I felt like I was the only one looking at it. Such glory. Such magnanimous power. This sun, the one that seems as if it’s playing in my very own sky theatre, is the same one they see in India, or Nairobi, or Queen’s, New York. It’s the same one people at war or people praying for peace look upon. The same one lovers and those who hate have to wake up to each day. This sun is all around us and it sees everything, all the pain and sorrow, all the joy and love. And yet still, it never leaves us. No matter what bad things can happen in a day, it really is true, the sun always shines again. Always. I like knowing this. I like how darkness is always followed by light. And I like how no matter how alone we may feel, the sun never leaves us.

I suddenly realize just how much I want to see the world. As much as I possibly can. As soon as possible.