flying east.

my years in colorado averaged plane travel between at least three times per year. in 2010, i flew on 16 different airplanes. my last trip of the year was last september, for my mom's birthday surprise. between then & my march move, i didn't travel. since moving to vermont, my only travel outside of the state has been three weekend trips-- all in the car. yesterday i hopped on a plane (well, two) for the first time in 2011. talk about a big change in a year- that is 11 months without an airplane. 

over my years of heavier travel, i learned to love to fly. sure, i hate delays, the long lines, and the stress that travel can bring as much as the next person, but i've learned to love it just as much. you can start your day in one place, and end it across the country or world. i love to watch people in airports, create stories of their lives. i love the possibilities that being in an airport can hold. a walk through the gate or a look at the arrival/departure board can remind you of the many destinations there are, and be an inspiration to travel farther. i also love the anonymity in airports. no one knows who i am, what my story is, or if i'm headed home or off on a grand adventure. on the flip side, i also love the rare but beautiful unplanned reunion that can occur in an airport. 

i flew through chicago yesterday after attending a fun wedding (that's for another post!) in indiana. returning to o' hare felt like a reunion with an old friend. i've flown united through o'hare quite a lot and so the little bookstores, the neon lights underground between B and C, the Starbucks at the end of the B gate, the bagel shop that has the driest bagels across from B14, the blue seats and the hidden bar all felt so familiar. 

perhaps the most interesting thing that happened while in o'hare was my enormous desire to board a plane to denver. because i haven't flown at all since moving back here, the equivalent to "flying home" still means "flying to denver." of course, my trips to vermont have always been flying "home" but in the visit-my-roots sense rather than return-to-my-life. BTV doesn't feel like my home airport in the way that denver did, yet. i'm accustomed to getting into denver, finding my car in the pike's peak lot, and starting the 3 hours drive up 70 and into the mountains as the sun sets, returning to steamboat late at night and dropping my bags either to go to sleep or reunite with friends. on this occasion, landing in vermont meant getting picked up by two of my favorite ladies, and driving back to montpelier. last night was my first night in montpelier with both my parents & brett out of town, and i must admit-- this whole "flying east to go home" experience has left me more homesick for my colorado life than i have been in a long time. today has been a quiet day enjoying reading, coffee & laundry and for that i am grateful. but it's also given me too much time to think, and recall how it might have felt to go west to go home instead.