London-Milan-Amsterdam: An Affair with Travel

I love being in an airplane, especially on a flight that has only a scattering of passengers.  I find a certain comfort and serenity, as if the airplane itself were some sort of cocoon.  

It is Tuesday morning last week, December 10th, I am onboard American Airlines en route from Chicago to London on client business.  It is a whirlwind of a trip, as I shuttle from a day of meetings in London on Wednesday, to a dinner meeting in Milan on Thursday.  Then, it's off to Amsterdam for more meetings on Friday.       

And I love it all.  

I don't know what's come over me.  Usually I push the envelope with getting to the airport, and find myself rushing to finish packing and sprinting at some point to check in.  Usually the taxi driver has to wait for me at our house.  But on this trip, I was firm with my pickup drivers about getting to the airports early.  I didn't even make them wait for me.

For example, on this Tuesday morning, I was at O'Hare just after 5 AM for the 8:45 AM flight.  Karen had to be at the office by 6 AM, so we left the house at 4:15 AM for her to drop me off.  

I had time and space on hand, as I reminded myself that I still need to do my cardio workout for Monday.  So I walked at the airport, up and down one set of gates, then another, then another.  For an hour of leisure exercise.  

In my `Algorithm for Exercise, it is precisely that: Taking advantage of what I have on hand, even as part of what I am already doing.  I kept thinking to myself that there was such space at the airport for pure and simple, free and easy exercise.  No one has to know that I was doing just that.

I surrendered to the temptation to buy a McDonald's breakfast.  It was only 6:40 AM, and I had time to see how Eva was doing at home and whether Karen made it to work on time.  

Finding a electric sockets to plug in and of course wifi was de rigueur.  Right there, they were, by my boarding gate.  So I even got To Dos done, before I boarded American Airlines.  

I slept and rested well onboard.  I studied, and worked, too.  This airlines operates a British Airways ticket, and clearly this carrier wasn't meant for long-distance international hauls.  How did I know that?  There were only a few video screens for inflight entertainment.  It was annoying.   

Still I was on my way.