Solitude, and flying

[azziria]

I love company, love my friends and family, but sometimes it is just so nice to be alone. I had the perfect evening yesterday evening, in Switzerland on my business trip, completely solitary. I sat in the bar for three beers, reading and making notes, then came back to my hotel room and lay in bed, eating apples and chocolate (Green and Black's organic dark 70%, for those who know about such things), reading, writing, and listening to music. I was perfectly, solitarily content in my own undisturbed space for the whole evening. Blissful, and so relaxing.

---

I hate flying (I didn't used to mind it, but as I've got older the fear has come upon me). But I fly quite a lot - most of my business trips are to the Continent, and I'm damned if I'm going to let fear overcome logic. I know the physics of why the plane stays up in the air (however illogical it might seem), and I know that statistically I'm safer on the plane than on the drive to the airport. So flying has become an exercise in self-control.

It's often bumpy coming in to land at Zurich, but yesterday we experienced the worst tubulence I've yet encountered. The plane didn't just rock about, it slewed wildly several times. Even the cabin crew looked a little tense. Horrible.

I rarely feel the absence of a god. But descending into Zurich airport yesterday was one of those times when having a deity to pray to would have been very comforting...

Comments

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

Join the club - hate flying in a passenger plane. Loved the one time I flew in a helicopter, and the one time I flew in a two-seater light aircraft.

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

*shakes her hand in sympathy*

Hate flying, but I treat it exactly the same way you do. I will nOT let it get to me, I do it, but... hate it.

I think I can imagine a little how you felt at the landing.Was in a tiny propeller machine Stansted-Maastricht and there was storm over Holland. Never in my life have I sweated so much, dug my nails into the arm rests and.. prayed to something I didn't believe in and was disappointed that I just couldn't believe in it.

(Green and Black's organic dark 70%, for those who know about such things)

YAY!

Am I looking forward to Continental chocolate, bikkies and cake over Christmas, or what? And food. All food. Ohhh....

Solitude is a good thing if it is not permanent and not enforced. I have to have my own room, there is no way I'd ever share a bedroom with SO. I don't do the 'sleeping in one bed' and I like sitting in bed before falling asleep, alone, with the cat purring on the pillow beside me and thinking. The brain is often highly underrated... ;-)

I am glad you enjoyed this part of the trip.

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

Solitude is a good thing if it is not permanent and not enforced.

I think that if I ever found myself 'alone' - ie if DEITY FORBID! anything happened and ereneth was for some reason no longer a part of my life - I would just take a string of lovers and kick them out of bed when I'd finished with them so that I could do more important things like - oh, I dunno... read? play the violin?

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

People are just different. Thank goodness. *S*

I like being alone, but not 'being' alone.

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

I like being alone, but not being lonely.

I think if I had lots of handsome young men coming to visit me and pleading to be allowed to kiss my feet and cater to my every wish, I might thoroughly enjoy being alone.

[marquesate.livejournal.com]

I like being alone, but not being lonely.

Whoopsie, that's what I meant. Takes a native speaker to find the right words ;-)

I think if I had lots of handsome young men coming to visit me and pleading to be allowed to kiss my feet and cater to my every wish, I might thoroughly enjoy being alone.

Yes..... *pretends to ponder this for a long while*

You ahev a point here, but they don't even need to be young. Distinguished grey temples in otherwise still thick dark hair, fine laughing lines around briliant eyes and a very well kept body.

*gulps*

Uhm, yeah...

Like I imagine Groves in his late 40s-50s.

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

Distinguished grey temples in otherwise still thick dark hair, fine laughing lines around briliant eyes and a very well kept body.

*sigh* oh, yes. And an appreciation of the finer things in life, like fine wine and beautiful music.

Heck, no. I could fall desperately in love with a man like that, and have to give up my sexy studs.

Might be worth it, though.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

"I think if I had lots of handsome young men coming to visit me and pleading to be allowed to kiss my feet and cater to my every wish, I might thoroughly enjoy being alone."

Funnily enough, I could go for that, too...

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

I would have an open house weekend with lots of drinking and feasting, running naked around the garden in the rain, and any other pleasure that springs to mind.

And I'll invite azziria, marquesate and melancthe.

*wicked grin* Mel can bring the tiramisu.

[azziria.livejournal.com]

"running naked around the garden in the rain"

As long as you hold it somewhere warmer than Aberdeen...

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

Anywhere is warmer than Aberdeen.

How about Cambridge? ;-)

[azziria.livejournal.com]

With that cutting wind driving straight from the Urals?

I suggest we treat ourselves to a tropical paradise somewhere...

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

I'll bring the tiramisu if you bring the strawberry trifle with. ;)

[ihlanya.livejournal.com]

Done deal. Don't bother bringing any clothes - we won't need 'em *smirk*

[melancthe.livejournal.com]

Except when we pop out for pizza - we'll need nourishment for all the exercise we plan to have. ;)