RyanHarne.com

Rather than a one-shot trip to NYC, a turbo-prop had to drop me off in Charlotte in order to find a reasonable turbojet. So, south for north.

The to-Charlotte take-off was at 6am, my seat being right below the wing. The earth below was blue and dark blue, an interesting perceptual shift from the ground level pitch black of night. Once the plane banked slightly to aim for the south, the setting full moon came into view - a sight I had no idea was possible. As dawn was around the corner, this brilliant moon was given a front-and-center performance, bathing in a soft, yellow spotlight.

Minutes later, having reached a comfortable altitude, I was watching the land, noticing specific divisions of vegetation - grasses to forest to grasses and on - that nature would otherwise find superfluous. A body of water caught my eye, a lake, apparently. As we continued by the water, a creme glow lit up the surface, panning the distance at an identical rate as our plane’s. The water was remarkably still and, even at this altitude, I could spot any disturbances propagating through the water, be they large, Loch Ness fish or early-rising, out-of-season fishermen.

Another bank of the plane reminded me of the source of this flashlight on the water; the moon was ready for its slumber. In the same spirit, I closed my eyes and, despite a turbine spinning beside me, I gave myself to sleep.

Some time later, an announcement came through the audio system, disturbing the humming continuity of the engines. The plane banked again and yet another yellow light came to view. I had an indirect vision of this new star by way of its reflection on the engine nearest to me. The previous black of the engine compartment was illuminated in a striking navy blue, complete with paint imperfections and scuffing. The color was the perfect choice for early morning, stealth flight, forgiving the monstrous sounds from the engines.

I love to fly.

The bunker that I have occupied for the past five-or-so days is no longer needed. Being attacked by a 10-hour-long lab report cruise missile, a medium-intensive midterm warhead, and a four-hour-long, shock & awe robotics midterm was painful enough, even behind my bunker walls of passivity and unwavering resistance. I will conceal the bunker under my bed until finals roll around - at that point, bunker 2.0 will be a necessity.

In celebration of this defense, I am taking a jet plane to New York. After having taken a turbo-prop plane, after having ridden in a car with boys.

I will spend most of a week wandering about. However, this time, I hope to start moving vertically. And, of course, I’m going to enjoy a favorite spot. Perhaps, also some teany since there are a few teas I can drink without becoming violently nauseous, the likes of which are consolidated into a tiny café on Rivington.

Please give some must-see NYC spots, if you have any. Otherwise, until then!