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Crossing the country: night flight — 15 Comments

  1. Something that moved me more than the Grand Canyon from the air, was the meteor crater seen from the air. The Grand Canyon took millions of years to carve. The meteor crater was made in mere seconds. And there are plenty more where that one came from.

  2. My daughters have driven across the country several times. My older grand-son drove round trip between Northern California and Virginia last summer accompanined only by his faithful dog.

    I wish my younger grand-children could experienece this, but they probably never will. Parents are much too busy. They flit across by Jet (ususally Jet Blue) and have no concept of the enormity and majesty of their native land.

    But happily they will flit east next week. The jet-age taketh and the jet-age giveth.

  3. I once flew across the country at night. It was dark.

    There’s metaphor there somewhere.

    Great writing. Have you published a book? You should. I would love to hear more about how fear has shaped your political thought. I think it would be enlightening.

  4. Very nice indeed, Neo!

    I agree with the Ice Weasel — you should think about a book. How about “The Best of Neo-Neocon”? (Okay, lousy title, but you get the idea.) Say, two hundred pages or so of your favorite thought-provoking blog posts. I’d buy it.

    On a more pedestrian note: you probably got an excellent deal on JetBlue — but you had to fly out of Logan! Personally, I prefer to use Manchester NH or Providence (both small airports, both serviced by Southwest). As always, your mileage may vary.

    respectfully,
    Daniel in Brookline

  5. Nice post.
    Welcome to SOCAL.

    Lovely day today.
    In the desert anyway.

    I was drawn to your blog by the name.

    Have a good day.

  6. In my youth I often used to do the cross-country drive–with companion, of course. Many, many times. So I know what it’s like to drive through the plains, to traverse the mountains and the deserts, to go the northern route and the southern route and the in-between route, back when motels cost about twenty-five dollars and many of them were one-of-a-kind rather than chains.

    I did the cross country route with the kids many times in the last decade. A room at a Comfort Inn in the midwest can still be had for around $35 (With a free breakfast donut, often chocolate with jimmies)

    The drive is fun, but it does take a lot of time, and sitting, and food that can often range from bland to inedible. Flying is usually the better choice.

    Enjoy SoCal – and congrats on your escape from the mud and melting snow!

  7. ice weasel: it’s a common misconception that it was fear that shaped my thinking post-9/11. It was not. I have, however, written about half of the story of the change so far, in my series “A mind is a difficult thing to change.” Links to all the posts written so far in the series are on the right sidebar under the category of that name.

  8. Neo,

    I stumbled across you blog by accident and I’m glad I did. This was a moving picture of air travel, though I normally don’t find flying very thought-provoking. To me, being stuffed into what amounts to a flying aluminum can next to a snoring seat-mate does not invoke deep thoughts in me.

    I particularly like your reflections on the Grand Canyon, that “wondrous cleft in the world”. That’s a very good description.

    Cheers!

  9. “For me this involves not enough sleep the night before as I pack and suddenly realize in the wee hours of the morning that I can’t take half of what I’d planned to, and that even the remaining half is way too much.”

    Yup. I’m glad I’m not the only one with trip packing disability.

    I flew British Air to Israel and they also had the little TVs on the back of the seats.

  10. I’m the snoring seatmate. I just learned I can bring my C-PAP onboard on the way to Romania this summer for a wedding. Rejoice.

    Though I have a great fear of falling and heights, and flying provokes imaginings I will not share for fear of suggesting new worries to others, I have always found night flights romantic. I like to try and discern where we are, and like you, wonder about friends below. This is in great contrast to night driving for distance. Every interstate is the same at night, with the same food, hotel, and gas stations listed on the blue signs. Day: drive. Night: flight.

  11. WICHITA!!! That is where I live. Small world. Wonder if I know your friends there. Probably not, with close to 500k people in the metro area, probably not possible.

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