Who needs Moses....

Traveling to the land of milk and honey has never been an easy path. While my current trip didn’t take nearly the 40 years it took the Israelites, the 40 hours it took me to get to this moment in Israel sure felt that way.

My trip went something like this….

Sunday
6am cst – Alarm clock screams. I get up and take a shower
7am cst – Taxi to airport
9am cst – Flight Minneapolis to Atlanta
2pm est – lunch with friends at Atlanta airport
4pm est – drinks with friends in ATL sky club
8pm est – friends leave and I head for the gate
10pm est – board plane for TLV
10:30pm est – plane’s cargo door damaged, everyone off the plane while they look for another plane and crew

Monday
3:30 am est – board replacement plane
5am est – plane leaves gate
5:30 am est – plane returns to gate with engine issue
6am est – plane leaves gate and we finally take off for TLV
10:45pm (4:45pm est) Israeli time – land in Israel
11:30pm Israeli time – arrive in hotel in Jerusalem

Tuesday
5 am Israeli time – writing blog entry waiting for sun to rise over Jerusalem

As I am waiting for the sunrise I just reread the entry I wrote in February as the sun came up over Tel Aviv and wish I could be that profound this morning, but truth be told I am just too tired to be that deep this morning. That sunrise had sleep before it.

But I do have something deep on my mind, friends. Friends around the globe. There are times people will look at my life and think it is empty because I am not married, I do not have children. But it is days like today that remind me that family does not have to come from blood or vows, but through those amazing connections we make as we go through life. And how the digital age allows us to take those friends with us wherever we go.

You will see in my schedule that part of my day in Atlanta was spent with friends. This were my own private “bon voyage party”. This part of my life many don’t understand, because when they hear me talk about them, they don’t hear names like Brian, Nancy, Steven or Jim. They hear “canarsie”, “underpressure”, “scoow” and atldlff. I am part of a very unique community online, known as “flyertalk”. This community is made up of people like myself who travel heavily for work or pleasure, who are plane “geeks” or are involved in the aviation industry. These are the friends who would think nothing of sitting all day watching planes land or flying half way around the globe for lunch.

I have been involved in this community for 5 or so years. Because we all travel so much we often meet up with either other in random locations around the world. Sometimes these events are planned and we all fly to a designate place to meet. Or like today, they are a matter of circumstances…a flyertalker puts out the word they will be somewhere and others join them. To those not travel inclined this group is often seen as an oddity, but for me it has been a source of meeting some dear friends and taking great adventures. And having them there to wish me off, and to provide support online as I sat and waited started my trip off perfectly.

Yet another and developing part of my friendship circle has become Facebook relationships. Ironically it was my last trip to Israel where I first tried FB. It was a technology I had avoided and thought a waste of time. I have since realized how wrong I was. It has allowed me to reconnect with friends, teachers, mentors and to share my life with those I leave behind when I travel. Tonight I was able to have those friends with me on my journey who are thousands of miles away.

Finally there are those friends scattered around the world. I am sooo looking forward to breakfast, not only because I am starving – the flight delay really messed with meal timing - but because after I watch the sunrise this morning, I am going to have breakfast here with a dear friend who has periodically walked in and out of my life. This friend has been there at some of the highest and lowest moments in my life. And while any chance to catch up with him would be treasured, this breakfast holds special meaning. It will be our first together in his new home country, he made Aliyah (moved to Israel) a little over a year ago.

The sky is turning that wonderful blue that happens right before sunrise. To all my dear friends, I wish you Boker Tov (good morning). May you all be healthy, happy and feel as blessed by your lives as I do this morning to have you all in my life!

PS I can’t end this without a thank you to the AMAZING people at Delta airline who worked so hard last night to keep us all fed, comfortable and content while we sat and waited for the second plane. To the crew who stuck around even though they could have bailed, to the crew who got up to fly with us. To the gate agents who got us all reseated in record time. To the mechanics and folks who found and readied the 2nd plane. I have been through a lot of delays and never have I seen the kind of team work and compassion I saw tonight. Great job!!!!!