Up, up and away

I've always found travel exciting. It mixes well with my photo hobby. This shot was taken in the old days when the pilot would leave the door open. I leaned into the isle with my fastest lens and snapped this off.

Thankfully flying has never bothered me. On my first flight I remember looking at the wonderful aerial view so I didn't think about being several miles in the sky above the clouds. I've also been on a seaplane in San Francisco, a few air balloons, and helicopters in lots of places, including my own home town on a life flight, but the view sucked on a body board.

My early college summer trips to Virgina Beach were road trips with my brother and a few close friends. Then came my business trips by air. Working for a University, I had 4 weeks vacation. So I took the 50/50 business trip, 1 week business, 1 week vacation. As my tradition I worked hard and played hard. During the business trip, I might collect info for fun after the week, but when I was on the business trip it was all business. I crisscrossed the nation and got to know the major cities very well. Almost like second homes. It's kind of funny returning to some of them, that I have spent so much time at that I know my way around instinctively.

I've had trips that were pure pleasure too. Not as many as the 50/50, but some none the less. A group trip with my ex where I was the party tour guide to Chicago (a second home city). My proposal to my ex on a Grand Canyon, Lake Powell, Bryce and Zion vacation. Honeymoon in Cancun. A few trips to Niagara Falls. The trip to the USVI, to witness my brother's wedding. Our tense trip to Orlando, the last "family" vacation where I was constantly taunted about the divorce. My ex can be a cruel bitch.

And of course my two month long trips to Europe, the first was a bus tour with my brother. The second was free form with my ex to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. I wish I had taken the opportunity while in college to go, its hard as a working adult to get the time off to take a leisurely trip. There is so much to see. We can forget that in the US where a century home is a big deal compared to a normal occurrence in Europe where its possible to see things a thousand years old. I do find the 8-9 hour flight a bit disconcerting, you become paralyzed from the waist down and have severe cabin fever.

But this bird's wings are clipped. My ex has got me listed on the state dept watch list and my grievance hearing is not even scheduled. My latest review of child support shows I am one month ahead plus a partial overpayment, just as I have been for over 2 years. I think its going to be time to escalate to the state agency again to get the enforcement actions revoked that never had any other merit besides false accusations being made and the assumption of guilt against the divorce looser (me).

So I look forward to the day when I can fly free again. My birthday is coming up, six months after the final decree. With a lot of effort (surprisingly so) that will be my goal, to have resolved all the divorce bullshit in the 91 page orders, and all the enforcement actions and penalties taken against me. I've been grounded far too long, it's time to fly free again. I can hardly wait. What a wonderful birthday gift that would be, just to be free, I would be so thankful.