Catching Up: Flight of a lifetime

When you're packing your bags and thinking through exactly what is necessary to bring with you, does it ever cross your mind if you'll see your bag again? When you're getting in the car, do you wonder if your flight will be on time, if the weather will cooperate or if you'll make your connection? And if you're running late (by some small chance) do you hope that maybe the flight might wait for you because you're trying your best to get there?

As a PK (no, not pastor's kid but pilot's kid) ALL of these thoughts and thousands more have run through my head. Flying has been a way of life for me and my siblings since my dad got hired by Alaska Airlines in 1992. It was the reason we moved from Florida to Alaska. It's how we managed to stay connected with all our beloved family on the East Coast. It's also the way I was able to get back and forth to college for 4 years. 

In all those dozens of trips, though, nothing has happened quite like it did when my little family left Alaska from our Spring Break trip.

It started out as a hope, then a possibility, then some major shifting around of schedules. Sunday night we confirmed it and Monday at noon not one of those concerns I mentioned above was a thought. That's because we knew we'd make our flight, we knew we'd be on time, that our bags would go through and our weather was picture perfect. The reason all my worries were eased...sitting right in front of me in my parent's gold Chevy Avalanche were our captain and first officer of the flight we were about to take. Never has it happened in my life that I was in the same car as the men who were about to fly my plane. But that special day, it was my dad and brother-in-law who worked it out so that we could fly with them. Will laughed when he got in the truck, turned around and said, "So when was the last time you drove to the airport with your pilots?" Umm...Never!

Of course we had to get pictures! Reese didn't think it was so charming to sit with her Poppy in the cockpit. Oh well. She'll see it one day and laugh at herself. It made me the proudest/happiest girl to hear my dad's voice over the loud speaker on the plane. He announced that his granddaughter just happened to be on his flight and how special that was to him. Special for this {me} daddy's girl, too!

It was something small and yet so meaningful...thanks Dad and Will for getting us to Seattle safely! You were/are the best pilots and we love you!