Preferred mode of travel?
My preferred mode of traveling is today’s topic and yawn, okay . I’ve been on cruises, slept in sleeping compartments on trains, flown in planes and as regular blog readers know, my least preferred mode is driving in a car.
I would like to say airplane because that connects with far away travel and my “preferred” destinations are always European and the fastest way to get there is by air. I don’t remember my first flight but I was already flying solo in kindergarten to visit my grandparents. Back then, any adult could walk a child on to the plane, settle them in a seat and leave him/her there. I loved the independence of it and felt very worldly. And the stewardesses (they weren’t yet branded Flight Attendants) would fawn over me, bringing sodas and paper and crayons and always being marched to the cockpit to receive a nod and a wing badge from the captain. Upon arrival, I would have to wait until everyone else left the plane. I would leave, escorted by a stewardess to the gate where my parents or grandparents would be waiting for me. I would run to them but no memory of anyone checking IDs back then. It’s shocking how different it is now. Back then you wouldn’t be able to bring a pet onboard but you could smoke as many cigarettes as you’d like.
I have many travel stories to share that include some of my flights- one fond memory was flying home to the Bay Area on the plane with my favorite band. The main star was in first class but the rest of the musicians were sprinkled around the plane. The keyboard guy and bassist behind me! The drummer and stage manager to side and the rest located somewhere in front of me. My guys!!!! To add to the memory was that the movie was “Ring of Fire” about Johnny Cash was our flight movie. My band often plays one of the songs from that movie. It turned out to be not the only time I was on a flight with this band, just the first. When you come from the same region of a band, and you follow that band around enough, like to the last show of tour, it’s almost inevitable you’ll find yourself on the plane home with someone in the band.
This is all the time I have for the moment, maybe some other day I can thrill you with airplane stories but Stu’s coming over to watch football and I need to throw some things together! Enjoy your Saturday!
