Have you ever been on a plane? Would you choose to sit by the window?

I always sit by the window, looking outside. Before takeoff, the captain checks the flaps; after takeoff, I watch the ground below, resembling a circuit board; during landing, I observe the wings that look like Transformers and the engines reversing thrust.

A classic saying among pilots is: "A pilot is still a child at heart, just with bigger toys."

What I want to say is: always be that child looking out the window.

The world will tell you that you've grown up, and you should use the time on the plane to read, attend meetings, and catch up on work.

The world will tell you that you've grown up, and you shouldn't be so excited about flying, staring out the window and taking pictures.

In this noisy world, it takes courage to be a constantly aware observer. While others are checking emails, I am watching the rhythm of the navigation lights flickering through the clouds; while others are looking at reports, I am mentally recreating every waypoint along this flight path.

Because I know that only the child sitting by the window can see the layers of cumulus clouds spread out like cream, see the physical miracles of sunlight refracting at the edge of the wing, and see the night landscape flowing like golden veins through the city.