I have been frequenting the halls of flight terminals a lot the past 12 months, ideally this won’t be changing any time soon. I love the world of aviation and all the elements that make it up. As I sit here, on a flight to Perth, I am lucky enough to have two seats to myself, thus not nearly as cramped while trying to pen my thoughts into my laptop. Flying to places new and old always makes me excited, I typically get very little sleep the night before, the sense of a flight pending looming over my brain. This can be a good thing from a preparation perspective and a negative thing when you’re expected to be functional for work purposes at the other end of the flight.
I haven’t cracked the magical number of points to get into the Frequent Flyer club associated with my flights, so I sit in the terminal and watch people and pay for my own coffee. I really love this time, time to kick back (assuming I’ve not forgotten anything. I usually allow myself some buffer freak out time with flights, just in case) and silently assess my potential fellow travellers. The flights to places like Mackay, Townsville and Gladstone are usually heavily male due to the FIFO nature of industry there. I discovered that Perth is a mix of FIFO, professionals in long sleeved shirts and suit pants headed out to check on things and incognitos such as myself. I’m in row 56 way at the back, surrounded by dudes. Actually there are two females sitting one row over. I find the social dynamic so interesting, and I find that it smells amazing. These guys all put some stella cologne on this morning and I am super appreciative. It reminds me of walking through London where I was hit in the face with male cologne and well dressed males in long coats. I must have been about 22 years old, this situation made quite an impression! When in close confines, smelling good is something nice you can do for your fellow people (key public service announcement!) . Travelling makes me intro and retrospective. I have an internal battle between being productive (have read a bunch of uni notes thus far on this journey), and having a nap/watching movies. This trip I’m choosing introspection and reflection with occasional movie watching over the shoulder of the guy in front of me.
Within my groups of friends I have many who are currently travelling, recently returned, or planning their next jaunt. This has led to a couple of conversations about Domestic v International personalities and how when you’re ‘home’ there is a sense of commitment and duty to live your ‘real’ life versus when you are ‘away’ you can do things with a lesser sense of attachment due to not ‘living there in real life’. In a manner of speaking, this attitude style ties in with practicing presence within daily life. Taking that feeling of ‘I’m going on holiday in 15 minutes’ and applying the same level of excitement to walking into work, walking into home, walking into new and uncertain situations within your ‘real life’. Imagine applying the same levels of patience, understanding, and open-mindedness within your daily life as you do when visiting another town, city, country, etc. If something unexpected happens when you’re on holidays you could freak out, but that has potential to ruin the trip. You deal with it, embrace it and hang on for the ride! Something unexpected happens in your daily world and you could freak out, potentially ruining the day for yourself and those around you, or you could take it in your stride and hang on for the ride. If you have a smile on your face, the ability to self-soothe in the face of a challenge, and a vague idea on how you’re going to approach your next step – the location of your physical self and the attitude you apply to situations can always have an essence of ‘holiday mode’ to it. Serious when needed (á la customs and visa applications, no room for joking here), thorough when mapping out days/planning ahead as required (feel free to apply this to scheduling meetings, taxes, mortgages, etc, ‘life stuff’), playful, observant, open, friendly, curious, loving, wondrous, free whenever you like.
Can you imagine working with or coming home to someone who greets you like you’re about to go on holidays together? Or that you’re on holidays already and you’ve just returned from the pool (or however you like to spend your leisure time) and feel refreshed and ready to hang out with everyone.
On a flight from Canberra to Brisbane, I sat next to this gentleman and we had a silent
dance party in our seats. Initially I noticed that as my seat dancing progressed from the occasional finger tapping, to head bopping and mini air-guitar, he slowly started to do it too until he had a whole head swing thing happening. We had created a safe space for ‘plane dancing’ without words or eye contact, it was awesome. While there is no doubt a requirement for seriousness, dedication and commitment within the home, workplace and day to day responsibilities, it’s my own view that you can balance these periods of time with lighthearted joy, pleasure, and presence. By practicing accessing the intrinsic feeling of lightness and freedom for yourself, you gradually give permission to those around you to do it too.
What a way to approach the day!
Happy Wandering!
Hx