When I was a very little girl, my mother flew to Chicago to do two things…visit her sister, and try to win a washer/dryer on “Queen for a Day”. The TV show was less impressive to me than the fact my mother was swallowed by this big, silver contraption that swept her away from me into the blue skies of summer. I had my first experience being airborne when I was about nine years old and my neighbor took me up in his Piper Cub. I loved the sensation…and the glamour…of flying.

Long gone are the days of airlines actually catering to their passengers in an opulent…and roomy…way. Seats are so tight, a woman of my size is hard pressed to cross her legs. I pity a person who is taller and/or wider than the average traveler. My flight experiences usually include at least a two hour nap these days. I always take Dramamine…usually the non-drowsy formula. I think I took the regular version yesterday as it was all I could do to stay awake during my layover in Chicago.

I tried something different this time. My flight left Denver at 5:05 which meant, with the extra holiday traffic and dropping off the rental car…I was up at 2:00am! I slept the entire flight to Chicago, had a three hour layover at Midway, another hour flight, plus a five hour drive home to the farm. Holy cats! Ok, I saved a boatload of money doing that, but it makes for a really long day. I’ll put up with a lot for a $198 round trip Dayton to Denver.

I love to fly…even though it isn’t what it once was. I love the sights and sounds and smells of an airport. I long to travel to far distant lands, gliding high above the clouds, and deplaning where I don’t understand the language. I’ll never forget standing in Heathrow Airport…a 19-year-old military bride joining my husband at his Air Force duty station. I stood at customs looking out at the sea of faces on the other side of the glass. I turned to the customs agent and asked how on earth I was going to find my husband with all these bodies here. There was worry in my voice. She laughed and said in her lilting brogue, “Don’t worry, dearie! He’ll find YOU!” And that, he did.

I had a four hour drive from Dayton to the farm after traveling all day. Thank you for your prayers for travel mercies. I am home. ❤️

“For it is written: “ ‘He will command his angels concerning you to guard you carefully; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’ ””
‭‭Luke‬ ‭4:10-11‬ NIV