We Have Arrived!

Israel bound: T-minus two long plane rides, two bus rides, a layover, and more general waiting.

The Israel-bound 2016 trip congregated at Grand Valley (minus two who met us in Chicago) with friends and family to see us off. A shout out to all of the parents, whether present or not, who maintained excellent composure and allowed everyone to get safely and happily onto the bus.

We arrived at the airport en mass, picked up our two missing companions, and maintained a loud and boisterous excitement from then on.

After no hiccups through security or boarding, we were all anxious to answer the big question: what movies would they have on the plane? I know at least those in my row felt a little deceived by the false advertising that we were going to get to watch Batman vs. Superman; spoiler alert, Turkish airlines only has the trailer on board. Dreams crushed.

With that said, there were at least 20 other new movies that you can still watch in the cheap show, which are excellent and definitely worth watching. However, once you develop an expectation, (not without reason; there were posters at the check-in counter!), it is difficult to exchange them, even for something better.

Expectations are so strange. When we develop an idea in our minds, we somehow become attached to it. Then, if our expectation is not met, we can feel a bit deceived or let down; amazingly, that is still true even if the reality turns out to be better than the expectation. This is true of our trip as well. I have talked with multiple individuals, and we all concur: our expectation is to expect the unexpected and the unbelievable.  Having concrete expectations would not limit miracles from happening, just us from noticing.

So here's to recognizing how small we are, how little we know and understand, and how small our imaginations are; instead recognizing that we are going to walk in the same dirt as the one who imagined us into being.

With that said, I've got some Flash to watch, and we are in hour number nine of the first plane ride, so I'm going to need to do some heel raises in the aisle before they turn on the fasten seatbelt signs. Until tomorrow, Israel out.

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