Nearly a Million Miles and Flying Still Charms Me
In 1987, I boarded a Lufthansa flight in New Delhi headed for Stockholm, with a stopover in Frankfurt. I was in the hotel business by then, so when the meal service came around I understood what was happening in a way most passengers didn't. I recognized the choreography. I knew why the tray was arranged the way it was. The passenger next to me looked at the foil-covered dish with genuine puzzlement. I felt, quietly, like I had a secret. That flight was my first time leaving India. It was also the moment I fell in love with flying. Not the destination, the flying itself. Nearly four decades later, my travel app tells me I've covered 945,282 miles since 2008 alone. That's 208 trips, 146 cities, 19 countries and regions, and 1,084 days away from home. And I still feel a small charge of excitement every time I buckle in. 945,282 Miles traveled since 2008 — tracked by TripIt. The 1987-to-2008 years aren't in there. Those are just memory. ...
