Airplanes & Expectations

Let's talk about airplanes. How amazing is it that we no longer have to drive hours upon hours to get somewhere? For a bit more money we can fly around 500 miles an hour and get where we are going in a fraction of the time.

Think about it. Your expectations will directly influence your perspective. My husband and I could have spent all day in the car driving across Texas to go see family, but instead we arrived at the airport at 6:00am for our 6:30am flight that arrives at 9:30am. Our 11 hour road trip just became maybe 3 hours with 1 hour of that us changing time zones because Texas is actually that wide.

One of these moments that I remember pretty distinctly was when I moved near Tokyo, Japan to study abroad for a semester. As a USian, as one of my professors called Americans, I was so used to driving everywhere I needed to go. Once in Japan that became riding the trains with everyone else.

At first I lamented the loss of having my own personal air conditioning blowing cold air straight in my face. With so many people riding public transportation, the body heat could get pretty warm despite the overhead vents. Having so many people in your personal space bubble was fully expected, but still hard to get used to. I think from riding the trains so much my bubble has significantly shrunken from what it used to be. Now I'm the awkward person that will fit myself into that tiny bit of space on a crowded elevator with my face a couple inches from the wall with the control panel.

As I got used to not having a whole car to myself and had to share space with other commuters, it dawned on me that I could do anything with that time. When you drive you have to give all of your attention to the act of driving. When you ride public transportation, the only thing you have to do is pay attention to the stops so that you get off at the correct one. Otherwise, you can do whatever you want within reason. It wasn't unusual to see people nap, read a book or manga, study flashcards, or talk quietly with friends. As someone who loves to read, a part of me didn't want to return to the states.

When I went to Japan, I knew that trains were the primary means of transportation. I had seen the videos of white gloved police men pushing in hoards of passengers that were not fitting inside. I never experienced that exactly, but people definitely pushed in close. Technically, they backed in close with bags pressed to their chests. Going in I fully expected the close quarters, so it made it easier to appreciate the trains for what they did have to offer: Time.

 The same luxury of time comes back into play when you take a ride on an airplane. I fully expected to drive across Texas, but after realizing that we would then have literally no time to visit with loved ones we decided to go this route. If you only have 2 full days then a day of travel in each direction does not work. It's only worth it if the quality time you get is more than you are spending traveling.

With different expectations you look at the world a bit different. When I pulled the window screen up to block the sun while my husband tried to nap, the bottom half was gone. Across the aisle we could confirm that indeed there was supposed to be more plastic. Instead of getting upset that there should have been a full screen and making a scene, I laughed pretty hard at the absurdity which made the guy across the aisle look up. He cracked up when he figured out why I was laughing without having to hear a thing other than the music playing through his headphones.

Life is good. It's ok to laugh when things "go wrong."