Lookers and Non-Lookers

Have you seen me by the window, gazing off into the wild blue yonder, dreaming of places I want to go?  Have you seen me making plans for tomorrow by enjoying the scenery buzzing beneath me?  My mom used to call it an armchair traveler - I think she was referring to the Lazy Boy armchair, but my armchair is in an airplane.  Let me explain:

Since we have been doing the trips back and forth to the states, we have racked up quite a few frequent flier miles.  Each way we get about 10,000 frequent flier miles - so it has given me plenty of time to think.  One thing I have noticed on my frequent trips is that there are two kinds of people flying; lookers and non-lookers.

I am a looker just in case you are wondering; one who desperately wishes for a window seat.  Lookers see flying as an adventure - not just a way to get from one place to another, but a chance to see things that those on the isle seats miss.  We strain to see the sights below; the fields, the forests, the farmhouses and the cities.

Lookers stare out the window and try to decide which of those places we would like to go next, what is going on in the farmhouses, and what the families are like that grow those beautiful fields in Kansas.  We gaze at the fluffy white clouds, the shadow of the plane on them, and the deep blue skies above them.  We try to figure out what lake or river we just passed over, if we might want to go to it, what mountain range is in our view and even which peak we might be seeing at that moment.  We enjoy the snow capped mountains and the boundless miles of waterways, the ribbons of freeways fading off into the distance and the color changes of the different fields.

No matter how many times I sit looking out the window, the view is always intriguing; the sunrise or sunset will always be new and breathtaking, the roads and rivers beneath me will always wind and twist in different directions and the fields below will always sprawl out new impressive designs in never ending patchwork patterns.

As a looker, I have found new places I want to explore and am fascinated at the thought of places I have yet to see.  I have found there are thousands of miles of untouched land on this earth and scoped out places to visit - and even ones I surely would never want to visit.  Lookers find new places they wish to explore and know there are new adventures just over the horizon.

I don't think lookers are only pleasure travelers; occasionally, I see business men and women looking as well.  In fact, I have seen people from all walks of life staring out the windows into the wild blue yonder; imagining, dreaming, enjoying and yes, even relaxing.  Oh, I am sure the monotony and drudgery of having to fly day in and day out every single week wears on a business traveler and the romance of it all fades away for the businessman, but for me it simply doesn't... well, ok, maybe a little bit on those 26+ hour flights, but when I am on a plane and can look out the window...

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...

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... all seems right with the world.