| I recalled my first flight as a teenager | | | | tomorrow. |
| leaving one country for another to continue | | | | |
| my education. The excitement of foreign | | | | Yawning, I glanced through the window again. |
| adventures was mixed with the sadness of | | | | If you leave London in the late afternoon |
| leaving my family. As the plane took off and | | | | flying west ward toward New York, you would |
| the northern coast of South America dropped | | | | experience a prolonged twilight period. Its |
| below the horizon, I remember brushing a | | | | as if you were racing after the sun, never |
| small tear off my cheek, yet smiling at the | | | | quite catching up as it drops into its nest |
| glorious possibilities of exploring a new, | | | | in the west, leaving you to sleep or gaze |
| fascinating and sometimes frightening world. | | | | hypnotically in its spell. |
| It would be years before I would see my | | | | |
| family again. | | | | Another yawn as I glanced again at the |
| | | | clouds. There werent many of them, but they |
| I dont sleep much on airplanes and I read | | | | appeared to come to life changing shapes and |
| very little when up in the air. High above | | | | evolving into new, intriguing forms, ever so |
| the clouds enveloped in this meditative | | | | slowly, ever so peacefully as we sailed |
| environment, I much prefer to reflect on the | | | | overhead.Here was one that resembled a |
| nature of reality, to philosophize and | | | | giraffe,long neck, spots and all stood out |
| luxuriate alone in my thoughts. Today was no | | | | against the pale blue sky. And over there, |
| different as I reflected on the past week. | | | | another cloud took the shape of an acacia |
| Indeed it was a grueling one. My bodys | | | | tree,complimenting the giraffe on the African |
| bio-clock was indecisively choosing among | | | | landscape. Lower and somewhat farther to my |
| time zones across three continents, but my | | | | right was one shaped like a car a Volkswagen |
| mind, at ease on an uncrowded flight, was | | | | beetle no less. |
| drifting among the clouds of yesterday and | | | | |