439 days later...

After 439 days, for the first time, I will be flying again -- tomorrow!!

The advance check-in process imposes tremendous anxiety -- the airline emailed me a week ago describing the touch-less on boarding process, then texted me multiple times today for the advance check-in.  Feels like I no longer know how to fly...

My last trip was 439 days ago, leaving our Board meeting from New Orleans, flying back to Chicago on the evening of 3/10/2020. The country was not locked down back then, but I was determined NOT to eat or drink anything on board. I remembered the flight attendant was so apologetic for the fact that I didn't eat the dinner during the flight that she insisted on offering me a $150 voucher or X number of miles that I couldn't remember anymore... Everything felt like yesterday. 

Well, the past 439 days have been bitter sweet. I've lived in our house for almost 25 years, but never seemed to have a chance to pay attention to the neighborhood, to the block, to the trees and birds until literally last March.  Over the past 439 days, I've walk around this block countless times; I've seen the leaves growing and falling and growing again; I've heard the birds singing different songs, and I can tell the different songs they sing in the morning vs. at night...

In a strange way, I am thankful for the shutdown over the past 14 months -- it's given us the opportunity to calm our hearts and be aware. I hope the reopening of the human society will not push us to become lost again.