Over the clouds, over the ocean

I love being above the clouds. Seeing the sun shine off their billowy peaks reminds me of how small I really am. There is an entirely different landscape up here, flying across the Atlantic. The miles stretch below me, a living watercolor interspersed with fields of blinding white. It is frightening in a way, to know that there is no solid ground beneath my feet. Frightening, but beautiful.

Floating through this wispy terrain also reminds me that traveling is often uncomfortable. For one, I am not a huge fan of heights. Or screaming babies. There is not much more to be said on that subject. Traveling is basically a bunch of people who do not know each other willingly forcing themselves to spend extended periods of time in confined spaces. Yet we keep doing it. Why?

Being uncomfortable forces you to grow. It opens your eyes to what is different. To what is beautiful. It allows you to encounter that which is new. Only through a process of pruning can new growth appear. After all, if I never flew, I would never know what the tops of clouds looked like anyways.

-McKenzie Croghan