This post was originally written on my flight from Chennai to Calcutta on 18th November 2007. It's just random rambling, about which I had thought earlier but never got down to writing. And my crazy schedule and enormously hectic work have ensured that it's coming on to 'ze blog' only now.
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Sometimes I feel flight (in an aeroplane) is quite similar to realization of (and living) a dream. The most exciting part is the take off, just as working towards a dream, and all the effort put into achieve it, is. At the same time, it is the toughest part, as well. Then, just when you are going to achieve your dream, that is the lift off, you feel like you are being pulled down and there is some sort of a humbling experience. But once you get through that, you are there; you've acheived your dream and are living it!

Many a time, you feel normal while you are flying and you go about business, as usual (reading, writing, eating and so on), but sometimes the dream is not as smooth as it seemed; there's turbulence and problems due to the weather, clouds and other external factors.

And after a while, it's time to land. One needs to come back to where he/she began (certainly at a different point in time and at a different place), dream more (and new) and work hard towards those new dreams and goals. Every flight, I feel, is a miniature depiction of living a dream. You prepare, you work hard, you achieve your dream, live it and then go back to dream some more and try & achieve those new dreams, work towards achieving them and live them again.

One more thing which comes to mind is that sometimes you can see the ground while you are up there. Sometimes you are too far above and many a time, all you can see is beautiful clouds all around. That gives one the feeling of actually being up there on cloud nine. :)

P. S.:- It also seems apt because almost everyone wants to fly and dreams of flying. And pilots live their dream of being a pilot, every time they fly! :)