Freewrite #1 - Airplane

kyle-glenn-337242-unsplash.jpg
Photo Credit : Kyle Glenn

/freewrite

I don't consider myself to be a frequent traveller. Originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma, I moved to Pasadena in 2012 and haven't looked back too much. I have friends and family that live there, but it's now a place I try to avoid. I only visit there out of obligation and haven't really had much money to travel or see things on my bucket list.

When I do travel, it's primarily by airplane because it's quicker and convenient for me. I've travelled by Greyhound Bus, which I do not recommend. Amtrak is a great experience, if you have no time crunch and want to explore. The downside to Amtrak, for me, is that it seems like time stands still and I tend to not feel productive in those experiences.

I have so many praises and complaints about airplanes, but don't want to be boring, so I'm keeping this freewrite down to why I like airplanes and not much else. The reason I enjoy the airplane experience is because I've managed to "game" the system, so to speak.

Southwest Airlines is my carrier of choice because they have a #zfg (#zerofucksgiven) mentality about things like : assigned seating, baggage fees and whatnot. I originally gave it a go in 2006, by moving here. It was a failed stint, but I learned a lot. During that time of travel, I realized that I could tell the Southwest agent that I had a disability and they would let me board before the "A" group. The question they typically ask is whether I need a wheelchair or not. When I inform them I am able bodied, they tell me to stand behind the wheelchairs and they let me on the plane before it gets nuts.

Why did I start doing this?

a) I was close to 400 pounds, at the time and needed extra time to get the dreaded 2nd seat belt and get setup in my seat.

b) I get a bit nervous/anxious when in a crowd of people and getting all of my proverbial "shit" in order before the crush of people coming onto the plane, puts me in a better mindframe for the flight.

c) I immediately go for a window seat, put my noise cancelling headphones on and proceed to sleep the entire trip.

I don't even take the snack and beverage. For some reason, the hull of the engine with my ear against the window tends to lull me to sleep. I get better sleep on an airplane than I do in my own bed.

/freewrite

Time Elapsed : 5 minutes
Total Word Count : 425

(Disclaimer : This freewrite is also known as a "brain dump". Words are not checked for spelling. Punctuation is loose. This is a writing tool to get the juices flowing.)

Socalsteemitbanner2.jpg

#SoCalSteemit is building and supporting the Steemit community of Southern California. If you are from SoCal and are into creating quality content here on Steemit, we'd love for you to follow us @SoCalSteemit and join our group on Discord!

H2
H3
H4
3 columns
2 columns
1 column
2 Comments