The prospect of physically going somewhere before you actually leave is somewhat surreal. It does not feel real until you are actually sitting on a plane, feeling yourself lift off of the ground. And in that moment of exhilaration you think,

“I am in the air. I could die right now and that would be okay.
I am leaving. I am returning. I am experiencing.”

And as you feel your heart leap into your throat, you can’t help but acknowledge that smiling is the only way you can even begin to catch your breath.