Greetings again from JFK airport in New York City! Safely back from London, with a day that I have found to be one of the best travel experiences. I’d like to think that it all was by chance but I do believe in Pay It Forward . The past 24 hours have been a day where things aligned in a way that have made me feel even more appreciative for the life I have been able to live.

Departing my London Family at the Indigo Paddington  for the Heathrow Express out of Paddington. I left slightly later then I anticipated which I was confident, knowing LHR, this would result in additional frustration towards myself for being 15 minutes behind.

The Heathrow Express departed at 08:25, which is remains still the best way to get to London Heathrow. The manager covering rotations today was assisting in ticket scanning. After a short introduction, we spent the remainder of the trip talking about trains, London etc. Philip escorted me from the train to the connector, and waited till I was on my way. I have his card to keep in touch.

Arriving in London, I had done the e-boarding pass but was afraid that it was not going to be recognized. After a failed attempt to reprint my boarding pass, I was down to an hour before departure. I was delighted to hear that they do accept the mobile and no challenges with it. Quickly went through the premium security lane, and was at the gate just as they began boarding. My connecting flight to ATL from JFK was already delayed from an update, unfortunately the non stops to ATL were both oversold in both classes in the cabin.

Simone and Florette on DL004 were friendly and efficient. They seemed to genuinely care about people and also provided for some great laughs. I slept most of the flight, still was not acquaninted with the shorter flight time to JFK. After 4 of sleep, enjoyed the lunch just before our early arrival into JFK. I shared Damn You Auto Correct with Florette who was laughing at many of them, and Simone made me laugh as she passed through the cabin looking for a person who ordered water, but could not remember who.

Delta Airlines Keep Climbing

Arriving into JFK, I expected similar to ATL, customs, security a few times…. lather rinse repeat. To my surprise, Delta implemented a greeter program for Diamond Medallion members arriving internationally. I am not sure if it is just Business Elite, but I would hope that it is across all aspects. I was met by Jacqueline before customs, just as I departed the jetway. She had a sign with my name on it, and a Delta Logo. Now that I think about it, I wish I had kept it for my office. She took me and one other passenger over to Customs, used GOES (which is excellent), and then directed me to my connecting flight. While we walked, she interacted, explained our flight was delayed to ATL, and she was very apologetic. She knew if we had luggage or not, connecting flight info, arrival, departure. Not sure how to navigate through JFK, this was a very welcomed surprise. Unfortunately she did not have a card on her, but I must commend Delta on a job well done. How about we bring this to the airport where you are the Home Town Airline?

TSA – same old, same old— Amusing was the 35 year old in A&F shorts having to do the full body scanner. His selection of sizes should have been reconsidered, as he had to stand bow legged to keep the shorts from falling down below his hips.

Sky Club at JFK at Terminal 3 by gate 2 is much better then the other one I was at when I flew out on Tuesday. The colors are bright and it feels like I am in a Delta commercial/ad campaign. The windows looking out over the active departing runway, a 767 (N171DN) parked just outside. Watching the 744 depart, to either Tel Aviv for Tokyo was an added bonus. Craig who was working the Sky Club exemplified what interaction should be. Welcoming and genuinely humble, available to ask random questions about the flights from JFK. He apologized for my flight delay and any inconvenience it may have caused and appreciated my loyalty as a Diamond Medallion. Best part is… he, like many others today, cared.

Today’s plane was N844MH, the 767-400 painted in the Sky Team color scheme.

My time in London for the past few days is coming to a close. I must admit, that I am quite fond of hotels and locations that offer free wifi. I am sitting in the Indigo’s restaurant and catching up on email, facebook, yelp, flight memory, booking flights, all on the iPad with the Logitech keyboard.

The trip was uneventful but productive. I feel a much stronger sense of alignment with the objectives and even greater support in our initiatives going forward.

The weather in London was fantastic today, in the 70′s and sunny. I left the Indigo Paddington and ventured all over the city, to many tourist traps I had not seen in 4 years. Big Ben, Westminster Abby, The Eye, Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens and Oxford St.

I love walking around the parks in London, you find one person reading in a suit, another couple asleep against each other, sports, and people enjoying the sun. One might say it is because the horrible weather they are accustomed to in London, and it’s almost a reason to celebrate. I believe that with many foreign countries, they work hard but enjoy the quiet moment. I saw this in Glasgow, Paris and London. One person was in a suit, changed down to soccer shorts, enjoyed sitting in the sun for 30 minutes, put the layers back on and returned to the office, I presume.

My flight is at 10am tomorrow out of LHR to JFK and then down to ATL. I will catch up on some sleep and look for reasons of comedy. Hopefully the extra pre planning I put into this trip will prove successful on the last legs of my journey.

Greetings from JFK, Sky Club by Gate 12. Upon arrival I realized something about JFK, it has not changed since I flew through here on the way to Munich in 1996. I flew on a 767 and L1011 that trip, 767-400 tonight.

Wanting to sleep tonight on the flight over, slightly shorter from JFK. I am typing and listening to the “Dueling Banjos”, two people traveling together to Brazil, both on their cellulars, both growing louder over the other. Focus Douglas, Focus!

Focus back, I crashed around 04:30 and was up at 07:00. I accomplished everything I had on my list today and made it out to the airport 30 minutes late. Luckily a car pool, combined with Henry (and his aggressive driver) we made it at the time I had hoped, 16:40. My flight departed ATL at 17:45.

Delta Flight 122, ATL-JFK (MD-88) had meal service. I have to ponder where Delta is getting their food selections. The increased amount of sandwiches continues to bewilder me. On a flight to LA I had an option of a hamburger. Surprisingly it was not bad. Today’s option was a cold pasta with chicken on it, or a roast beef sandwich. Row 4 had the option of roast beef OR roast beef. After a long and serious debate, I selected…. ROAST BEEF. The sandwich was ice cold, covered in onions and bell peppers, found it to be disgusting. TIP: Scrape off the top, fold the bottom over, and it’s a mini sandwich without the two giant pieces of bread. Can someone help me understand, why does Delta serve Twix this time of year? It is pointless, they are melted every time. Maybe season is better? How I miss the Garden Salsa Sunchips. Minus the screaming child the entire flight directly behind my seat, somewhat quiet.

I had high hopes for JFK, knowing they have some serious renovations going on from the old TWA days. Luckily, arriving in Terminal 3, departing here, nothing has been done here. Exit the plane, look up for your connecting flight info, don’t worry, it’s across the gate area, makes complete sense? It was nostalgic to see the old airplane chairs with the blue leather and Delta logo. I believe I sat in the same one in 1996, thanks for bringing back the memories of a great trip! The Sky Club has been renovated for the most part, I can see N832MH (767-400) awaiting to depart. (The Dueling Banjos are packing up and leaving!)

In saying ADIOS to my friends now, I look around, what an empty terminal, maybe this is the OLD terminal and I am missing out on a beautiful, new one hiding. SkyClub – When I entered, the person in front of me was complaining about passport control… I heard my favorite statement that I hear often -

I wish more people could be like you….

I am pretty mellow when I travel, go with the flow, and not much is within my control. (Looking out window and an old 757 with TW in the tail number is passing by, Nostalgic indeed). I headed to the restroom, only to notice the signs were reversed, luckily the woman’s restroom looks NOTHING like the men’s. Both are somewhat shabby, but men’s toilet did not flush, reminded me of Karen and the trough in China. Awakening my senses with an aroma this time around.

After the small mishap, I ordered a Bailey’s in coffee. A woman comes out and asks “why do you get drunk” . This left me baffled, I thought “Who are you? Are you the ATC? “, then I realized she was a Delta employee with a different opinion on drinking. I ordered a decaf coffee and a Bailey’s, far from pounding back shots, or double fisting a few beers.

Thanks Brie for teaching me southern terminology, which is applicable in NYC. Strangely, I felt compelled to answer her, that I was not drinking to get drunk, she then asked if I was doing shots. I thought, can she be serious? She was, I took my Bailey’s and Decaf, with my head held high and walked away.

“Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray I have a flat bed to sleep”

Atlanta to Shanghai on Delta, 777-200LR, my seat did not recline. Not to worry, not reclining or having a lie flat on a 15.5 hour flight, electrical outlet on the 14 hour flight on the 744 Shanghai to Detroit, lost bag for 24 hours, has a value to Delta of 19,000 miles. Though you should not equate that to “Pay with Miles” according to Delta — It’s worth $190.00 on a several thousand dollar ticket. The offer is to “make amends” for the many failures I experienced. While I roll with the hiccups, I have to ponder, where is the disconnect. No lie flat, no electricity, lost bag…I look at the ad, this is what lie flat should have looked like on the plane -

Anywho, is what it is - Time to order another Bailey’s and get dirty looks for doing it, I will do it with pride and a smile on my face. Departing in 1 hour at 23:00 – glad to get some humor out of my system before my slumber. Here is tonight’s plane to London.

I just googled JFK Delta – Congrats, they are building a new terminal, I better enjoy the moment.

Sitting outside on this warm summer evening, I remember my first trip to Atlanta to interview. It was Memorial Day Weekend, 2006. After my relocation from Chicago to Atlanta started, I commuted to Atlanta on a weekly basis in 2008, I can remember the heat along the highway to the airport as I sat in traffic. Passing under buildings on 400 and seeing large fans on to circulate out the exhaust from the automobiles crawling beneath.

Fast forward 5 years later with my current company, and I look back and wonder where the time has gone. When my father would tell me that time flies or it goes by so quick as you get older, I thought the man was crazy. How could the 5 minutes before school got out at 2:30 pm ever go by quick? How could falling asleep on Christmas Eve ever make morning come any sooner? The moments in my life where time seems to slow are when I am at the airport waiting to get through security, most likely because the person in front of me has not heard about the ban on jugs of vegetable oil as carry on, and also for the phone to ring when you hope to hear back from someone you have interest in.

While it goes by quick, at times I feel it may even be passing me by. I began work while in High School and recollect many times I forewent vacations and personal breaks to work. While the end result drastically improved my career, the fun along the way was few and far between. What I did learn to do is make fun out of any situation I am in, whether it be the night I had someone with a gun standing in front of me at the hotel (3 days before the big 21), or being on Newport Beach to be told that I was a great person, and oddly, the passion I evoked in them made them long for that passion in their ex….  Needless to say, if I have serious interest in you, I will never take you to that beach.

Thinking back to my childhood, in 1995 the movie 9 Months debuted which has an amazing song about the Time of your Life. Unfortunately, the soundtrack featured a different version, but it serves as a reminder about living life in the moment. How the moments we wish would go slow, pass us by, like an amazing first date, or saying goodbye to a loved one briefly, or for eternity. I love you mom, had our moments of happiness only lasted longer.

Below is the song by Little Stevens – “The Time Of Your Life”

A particular part that makes me remind myself of living in the moment - Carpe Diem

Don’t think about the future, don’t think about the past
There’s just this moment, better make it last
You better get it right ’cause
This is the time of your life

Of course, who could not think about time of your life, and Green Day  Good Riddance (Time of your Life)? When I hear that song I remember being at an old high school friends home, with a pool, with that playing so loud. When it gained more popularity being on friends.

The picture shown above is my mother and I, outside the theatre inside Knott’s Berry Farm waiting to see KIDS Incorporated… I would guess sometime around 1985 to 1986. One of the pictures of her that I can almost hear her laughter. In case you can remember part of the jingle for KIDS Incorporated, here is a refresher! Jennifer Love Hewitt was also in the cast.

httpv://youtu.be/HnsHpPNltBw

While preparing dinner last night, Slacker popped up the album 31 Minutes to Take Off by Mike Posner. The song of the cover is only 53 seconds but what grabbed me was the album cover. Sitting on a plane at sunset, no one next to you, seat in front of you, and bound for wherever the jet is going to touch down.

Whenever it is close to take off, I still get the feeling of excitement. The plane pushing back from the gate, being cleared to taxi, and finally rolling down the runway. Looking out the small oval window at the wing flexing as we lift off, hearing the engines rev up more, and finally the sinking feeling as we gain altitude. Looking back and seeing the runway behind us, the world passing by so quickly. Sitting down yet going so fast, how life often passes you by if you rest, while the world we live in just keeps moving faster and feeling smaller. Sitting alone on the flight, feeling the solitude knowing that an adventure can start with a plane ride and also draw to a close.

More than anything else the sensation is one of perfect peace mingled with an excitement that strains every nerve to the utmost, if you can conceive of such a combination.  ~Wilbur Wright

Many times I’ve gone flying and people mention they forget that the cloud layer is only so high, and above it, sun is shining. Passing through those clouds, a bump or two, and soaring above them, the shadow of the plane on the clouds growing smaller as we ascend. Closing your eyes, and you can wake up half way around the world 15 hours later. Granted, I could never sleep for 15 solid hours on a plane.

How strange is this combination of proximity and separation.  That ground – seconds away – thousands of miles away.  ~Charles A. Lindbergh

The quiet time on a flight allows my mind to wander, I think of friends, the path of my future, challenges in life, and oddly, I associate flying with evoking emotion. Whether it is the excitement to get to the place, or the sadness of the conclusion or a farewell, or the stress knowing the heavy tasks at hand upon arrival.