These are actually my thoughts one month ago.
Thirty days back to be exact.
My last thoughts in 2018.
As I prepared to take off from my home airport in Baltimore for a ten-day birthday vacation in Puerto Rico.
I wrote this piece for January 30, 2019.
I was trying to write “for the future”.
Just for a fun experiment.
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Now, Baltimore, Maryland to San Juan, Puerto Rico.
That’s just 1,574 miles by a straight line.
That’s also normally just a four-hour plane ride.
But I’m doing it eight hours (with more miles, since plane routes do not fly a straight line) with a stopover in Tampa, Florida.
I’m not excited about the eight-hours—probably ten, including the pre-departure carp.
But I’m just cheap.
I wanted to fly with the lowest fares I could find online.
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I don’t need to be smart about saving time.
I got time.
I’m almost 50.
I’m retired.
I’m not in a rush to an event, or a job.
I’m going for a vacation.
So, why not start relaxing?
And forget about time.
I don’t like to be controlled by time.
Or by anything, or anyone, for that matter.
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I kind of like airports.
I mean, I prefer the trains of Europe.
Maybe the long haul buses from Baltimore to L.A.
Or Baltimore to Montreal.
Or even L.A. to Vancouver.
Or yeah, even Baltimore to New York.
But I can’t stand boat rides.
Unless they are cruises.
And I hate driving for more than two hours.
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Years back, I hated my time wasted in airports.
I always go to the airport, any airport, at least two hours ahead of my departure time.
Sometimes, four hours ahead. For international flights.
Especially when I feel there is nothing more I needed to do in the city I’m leaving.
But I have learned to amuse myself in airports.
Although I bring books to read, I don’t usually end up reading in airports.
Instead, I people watch.
Or somebody in other parts of the world would just engage me through Skype, or Facebook Messenger, until I’m boarding.
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If things go well, and I can’t imagine why they won’t, I will arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico at around 3 p.m. of December 31.
That will be my last airport for 2018: Airport #47.
Baltimore-Washington International is Airport #45.
Tampa International is Airport #46.
You can believe it, or not—
But 47 airports in 2018 ties with my record 47 airports in 2017.
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In 2017, I had been to a lot of airports because I went to Canada, Asia, the U.K., and the rest of Europe.
I thought I could never top that airport count.
But in 2018, I’ve been to the Philippines twice:
For the 50thDinagyang in January, and for the groundbreaking ceremony of my Casa Dom Pedro in August.
After a short side trip to a friend in Canada, I went home to Maryland in late November with Airport #44 in my count.
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Then, on a whim, I booked Puerto Rico a week later.
It would be silly to think that I booked Puerto Rico just so I could increase my airport count for 2018.
There are direct flights from Baltimore to San Juan.
So, that’s just really two airports.
Also, I was just planning a birthday weekend.
So, I could really just fly on January 3 or 4, and keep my 2018 Airport Count at 44.
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But God, or flight budgets, work in mysterious ways.
The cheapest tickets for my trip are on December 31.
And the one with a stopover is cheaper than a direct flight.
Thus, the three airports on the last day of 2018.
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I know it sounds crazy thinking about airports on the last day of the year.
But to make up for that, during the whole week after Christmas, I actually reviewed my life.
I went over my finances.
I reviewed my crossed out appointment calendar.
And, of course, re-read what I have written for the whole year in “My Life as Art”.
And you know what, I liked the year that was 2018.
And I really liked how it clarified what 2019, my 50th, is going to be.
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My motto in 2018 was: To laugh my way to 50.
For 2019, it will be: To be awesome.
What made 2018 work was the pressure of turning 50.
And my constant self-reminder to “laugh my way” as can be gleamed from my social media posts, and my work here in Panay News.
I think the same trick will do for 2019.
That is why I’m writing this piece now, but scheduling its publication on January 30, 2019.
I think it will be awesome.
I mean, it will definitely remind me to be Awesome…
If I’m not beaming, and brimming, with it already…
While you read this./PN
