Traveling

I have a love/hate relationship with traveling. I love the sights, but I hate the tourist traps. Love the arrival at a new place, hate the overwhelming confusion. Love the food, hate the...well, I guess I don't really hate anything when it comes to food.

And I love flying and hate it at the same time. I'm not afraid of flying, but I hate the cramped quarters, the recirculated air, the uncomfortable seats, the weird aches that I get in my ankles...

And yet, there's a freedom in flying. An airplane is an in-between, and its passengers are, too. In between departure and destination, in between old friends and new, a metal box full of strangers has a shared experience of transition. My favorite part of a long flight is towards the end, when everybody realizes that they've just spent several hours sitting next to someone with whom they barely conversed. Little dialogues happen up and down the plane, as strangers make up for lost time. I just find it funny.

Anyhow, I cannot wait to visit my friend, E, in Vietnam, but I must admit that I am not looking forward to the flight. I'll try to post pictures, but no guarantees.