Wednesday, November 24, 2010

I am a window sitter and I am ok with that

As a kid I never flew. If my family couldn't get there by car it didn't happen. Beach trips were pretty standard, we went to Disney world a couple times but that was about it - more on that later. I branched out a bit when I got a little older (and got my own car) and went on a few road trips to Austin, Houston, Memphis and a few other places, mostly in Florida. It wasn't until I was 24 that I actually flew.

My first flight ever was to London. Seven hours in a plane - more on that later. I think I stared out the window for at least six and a half. Might have been eating the other 3o, not sure and it was dark. I just tried to imagine how high we were and think about how far we really were away from everything else. I never looked back after that. If i was going somewhere, I was flying. Well, if i could afford it at least.

I love to fly. I still look up and see planes in the sky and wish I was on them going to the capital city of wherever.

I took my sister (who is 18 months younger than me) on her first flight shortly after that. We went to D.C. to visit Niki, Lindsey, and the other D.C. Clarks - which would eventually lead to the D.C. experiment currently running at around 4 years now.

All that is beside the point. My point is that I am a window sitter. This is certainly because I have an undying curiosity that cannot be subdued. When I first started flying, I could not understand why everyone didn't want to sit by the window. I mean, a view of the world from 20-30,000 feet? Who is going to wanna miss that? I made it (and still make it) a very strict point to place myself in the seat nearest the outside when picking the little funny chair on the website of whoever. I choose based on view (not too close to that wing) and of what I was hoping to see (right side when flying north over NYC to see the skyline, left side when flying into DCA hoping to get a view of the monuments, whichever side would have the sunset, etc, etc.)

After a while, I decided to give the aisle seat a try seeing as how on any given flight at a minimum 50% of the passengers choose this location (or just end up there.) I can see the convenience of the thing. Getting to stand up, get stuff out of the carry on, walk around without bothering the neighbor, go to the bathroom at will, get knocked in the knee by the drink cart, etc... I must say, with all of its conveniences, the aisle just does not do it for me. And besides, staring over the person next to me to try and get a view it is just not the same. And also sometimes makes the person next to you close the little sliding window thing and look at you funny.

So all i'm saying is that in the end, I will surrender all of ease and convenience of an aisle just to get that view and the realization that I am flying through the air and like Louis C.K. says, "sitting in a chair......in the sky!"