Time After Time

Everyone who knows me knows that I have one or two hundred thousand miles in various frequent flyer accounts around the airline industry. Those miles started slowly - the odd trip to Europe, a few trips between Chicago and Florida. Then a business trip in First Class to London...a few more..then I went into full-on consultancy that took me to all the major business cities in America and Europe and hence, a very spoiled little flyer. By spoiled flyer I mean priority boarding, best seats in coach if not in First or Business class, executive lounges, spa kits, priority security lanes and gobs of gourmet nuts and mediocre wines consumed.

I said to a friend of mine, while stuck deep in this gypsy lifestyle that I couldn't wait for the day that I would be holding a coach ticket in the "ass" of the plane, middle seat and boarding last. I would walk by the girl in First Class with a Dell laptop and a face dried out from 4000 miles flown in 40 hours and pity her. Why? Because it would have meant I got out of the lifestyle that was so hard on me physically and spiritually.

It's been nearly two years since I've been a simulatenous top-tier member of United, American and US Airways frequent flier. I stopped flying November of 2003 when I scored a local job that took me off airplanes. I've taken only three business trips since then but all have been on regional jets. Until this week.

This week I took a trip to Houston on Continental in a proper 757 jet. I had seat 31 e. That's the butt of the plane, middle seat. I wasn't too thrilled but I remembered to count my blessings that it didn't matter because I don't have to travel ANYWHERE next week if I don't wanna. Well, what should happen but my name gets called and I have been comped an upgrade to First Class.

It was like sliding into an old comfortable shoe. I never have flown Continental before so I was interested in their idea of 1st class. I sat there and for the first time in maybe six years, truly enjoyed and appreciated the upgrade. I savored the comfort, I looked out the window watching the Oil Rigs and tanker ships rest in the Gulf of Mexico imagining them battening down everything in preparation for Hurricane Katrina. I thought about my boss and coworker in coach suffering (yes, I commited career hare kare and left them at the gate while I danced into my first class seat...) - coworkers who are now friends and will be over at my house this Sunday for a cookout. I savored the dinner, the wine, the coffee and just realized for the very first time how truly and deeply that vagabond, lonely and hollow part of my life is over.

Yes, I'm a drama queen but let me say that...I was in the same seat, traveling on business but in a completely different circumstance: I am happy.

"Flashback..warm nights..Almost left behind..Suitcases of memories..Time after..Time" - Cyndi Lauper