A Bird's Eye View

“All the pathos and irony of leaving one’s youth behind is thus implicit in every joyous moment of travel: one knows that the first joy can never be recovered, and the wise traveler learns not to repeat successes but tries new places all the time.” -Paul Fussell

On Friday night, while packing mountains and mountains (and mountains) of clothing and books into 2 suitcases, I was struck by a feeling of nervousness and emotion. "I'm going to the other side of the world for almost 2 months," I thought. Why did this make me so nervous? I have no idea. But immediately I grabbed my camera and began taking picture after picture of my home, my room, and my beautiful family. It's something that I've always taken SO much for granted--given even the slightest circumstances, I risk never seeing them again after tomorrow. As morbid as that may sound, I had a devout interest in making sure I had every remnant of them I could get my hands on, so I could remember the whole time what an absolutely wonderful set of parents and brother I have. We may not always agree, and honestly sometimes we may strongly disagree, but they are absolutely the most important people in my life. After this trip, I will make an effort never to take them for granted again.

So on Saturday right after lunch, my wonderful parents delivered me (and my 2 suitcases weighing exactly 49lbs each, limit 50lbs) to the Atlanta airport to begin my first leg of the beginning of the trip of a lifetime. Arriving at the airport with about 4 hours to spare before my flight, my family and I sat in the large rotunda watching a menagerie of individuals pass in and out of the airport: many looking tired from a long day of traveling or excited to be in the awesome Georgia heat. Every time I go to the airport I love people watching (a favorite mall activity as well) and trying to "figure people out." Him... He's a boyscout getting ready to go to camp. Or an army man who just left his wife and newborn behind. Or a lady obsessed with plastic surgery whose face may fall off at any time. Its a favorite game of mine, and this trip was like every other.

Finally, after going through security and taking the beloved tram from T to E terminal, I sat at my gate awaiting my 8 hour flight. I was SO nervous--and i've never been one to be nervous on any trip. I love going. To the mall, to the mountains, to a ball game, to Anartica. Wherever it may be. But I was shaking like a leaf before my flight. There were a couple hundred people on my flight, and probably 75% of them were students going to study in the U.K. While my program was the only one going to Oxford, a good majority of them were studying in London. So passport, Ipod, and mountains of books in hand, I boarded my flight knowing not ONE soul.

Ascending into the sunny day, I started thinking (like I always do when traveling overseas). This world is absolutely overwhelming. There are so many people from so many different walks of life. Some may have terrible issues in their life that they are having an extremely hard time dealing with--and i'm just worried about them moving out of my way so I can pull my bags down. Also, the world has so much to offer and see, and I am so small compared to the many destinations and locales. In a plane to England, you pass over 4 different countries, and beneath the wings of the plane you can see the visual representations of lives being scattered and strewn all over the variable terrain. It really gave me a newfound perspective again--

1. I can do, be, or see so much. This expansive planet is mine for the taking.

2. I am not the least or most important person in this world, but I can make a difference, be it minute or substantial. Owning Coca-Cola or helping a struggling woman with her bags in the overhead.

3. Wherever I am and no matter whom I'm with, because of my trust and faith in my religion, I am never alone.

So despite today's small wins by deciding a detailed life story of the people walking through the Atlanta Airport, no entertainment can compare to the genuinely perspective changing glimpse I got from a view from an airplane window.

Thanks,

Andrew