Loftily Aloft

One of the hardest parts of beginning a trip is leaving the family dog behind. On a linguistic side note, he’s a Bichon Frise named Pamuk – Don’t worry, we were not trying to put Orhan Pamuk on a leash. Pamuk is the Turkish word for “cotton.” Pamukkale means “cotton castle,” and it’s a fitting description for the beautiful mineral deposits it designates:

(Image Link: http://www.mymilez.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Pamukkale-Turkey.jpg)

They don’t let tourists roam the natural springs as freely as they used to, probably due to clumsy people like me.

It is heartwrenching to sense Pamuk’s anxiety when his pack starts to pack. He has gone as far as sneaking his first and favorite toy into our luggage:

 

  Perhaps he is thinking:

Another luggage

It is hard to fetch alone

I’ll wait by the door…

Despite having to part with “Pammle-wammle,” I try to appreciate the journey before even landing at the destination (to use a go-to cliché). I saw some magnificent landscapes during a recent flight along the U.S. East Coast. 

 

This sort of looks like a brain:

 

Green river delta

Pouring fresh into the world

Taking in the brine

And this scene evokes electronics:

 

Circuit board city

Engineered by carbon forms

Silicon replaced

The media through which I can share these images are a testament to the above theme.

Sometimes, it is hard to see anything terrestrial, whether natural or man-made:

Fluffy floating foam

Illuminated below

In a frozen sea

To briefly sum things up, leaving home and flying through the air can be just as emotionally laden as arriving in a new place, or visiting one that is familiar.

Until next time – “Over and out.”

P.S. Many thanks to Meryem Ok (a.k.a. “Eraser Butt”), who has helped me with revisions and edits.

For example:

“What’s a good word for ‘beautiful’?” 

“Meryem.”