What must it have been like for the first explorers who hoisted themselves into the air using hot air balloons? How did the first people who climbed to the tops of hills and mountains feel as they looked down on the miniature world below? Humans have always been fascinated by the view from above. But now, as we sit in airplanes, we rarely look out the windows any more, consumed instead by the small screens embedded into the back of the seat ahead of us.
Take a moment to look out the window the next time you fly, and be filled with wonder.
The world is beautiful when looking down. The complex shapes that nature creates, and the rhythmic patterns made by humans in urban areas all remind us of a world that is much bigger than us.
We wonder who is down there on the deep blue lake, making that white line that draws across the surface. Who is wandering in the barren high desert on a quest. The millions who crowd a city like Los Angeles are virtually invisible, as are the thousands who code into the night at Apple’s iconic Infinite Loop.
It’s a big planet and there is much to explore. Go buy a ticket to someplace you’ve never been. And then, don’t put your headphones on. Forget the free movies. Try looking down and imagining what adventures are happening 30,000 feet below you.
The world is waiting. Go explore.
