Musings from Seat 10D

This is my first non Think Kit post in a month.  I’m catching up on those and will have them posted tomorrow. 

I’ve over analyzed and reanalyzed so many life decisions in the last year that I can offer a quick “what-if-than-that” scenario for just about every single moment of life since January.  When you have zero control of a situation, I think human nature is to figure out what could have been different; both as a way to ride the merry-go-round of internal conflict and have different resolutions for future situations.

As I write, I find myself currently sitting on a plane returning from a wonderful and amazing trip to Southern California.  Partner-In-Crime (PIC) opened up her home and family to me for a breathtaking trip between Christmas and the New Year.  I got to meet really cool people she happens to call siblings, hang out with her Dad whom can talk photography, wine, beer and travel with the best of them, and explore her hometown in absolutely beautiful weather.

Sitting here at 35,000 feet, I’m the most at peace I’ve been since life changed drastically and outside of my control back in the summer.  I had fought and fought and fought, and didn’t realize how much of a toll that fighting for something that I had zero control over had taken on me.  As I literally fly towards the New Year, I feel fortunate to have stumbled into new relationships that are healthy, that involve give-and-take and compromise, that aren’t selfish and hostile.  I have no idea how I got lucky enough to surround myself with the personalities in my life, but I am so incredibly thankful for them.  I’m excited for what 2014 will bring, I’m excited that I have new challenges in my life, I’m excited for the direction I see the first few months of 2014 taking me, I’m excited to have found myself and the constants in my life that are faithful and loyal and challenge me to be a better person.

Today, I saw a pig, on a leash.  Yesterday I saw a Prius with a license plate that read  “oilfree”.  I made it out to the Staples Center to honor JBD and the time he spent there building it.  I saw beautiful sunsets, I ate great food, drank and discussed wine, had a California beer flight sampler.  I saw the coast from up high on The Getty, ran some good miles and found decent form, and most importantly…played ski-ball at the Santa Monica Pier Arcade.  I couldn’t ask for a better way to unwind and forget about some of 2013 while charging forward into new beginnings and create some awesome memories to boot (really, a pig on a leash).

There’s a whole lot of “what-if’s” in 2013, but the lessons and situations that resulted from those what-if’s have brought me front and center to seat 10D on this Delta flight where I currently sit; and I know it isn’t “what-if’s” from 2013 that I’m thinking of, but “let’s do this!” for 2014.

Thanks to everyone who made my time in LA memorable and enjoyable, I certainly hope we all cross paths again sooner than later.

—-and yes, I’ll get some awesome photos up in the next few days if you didn’t see them on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.

Tailwinds,

-th