I write as I fly bound to Chihuahua Mexico. A stewardess just announced that the duration of the flight is 1hr 58min. And what came to mind was, 1:58 to read and to write on my blog.

While excited for a much needed break after months of very tedious and endless days of work, I can’t help to feel a teeny tiny bit sad for my 2 kids that almost cried when I left them.

My daughter asked “Are there terrorists in Mexico mom?” I immediately and with no hesitation assured her there aren’t any (thinking in my head that all the drug lords and their gruesome cartels are terrorists because they cause terror and fear through their horrific doings).

When I asked why she was worried about that she said “What if there are terrorists on your plane? Like all those planes that have crashed!”   I made a mental note to self: DO NOT WATCH CNN WITH KIDS ANYMORE.

Just before 2014 ended- a year which many will not miss or remember with a smile on their faces- a third plane went missing. I say a third because 2 planes had suddenly escaped from radar detection just months prior.

Remains of this third aircraft (Air Asia) and some 40 bodies were found 2 or 3 days later. The second occurrence (Malaysia Air Flight 370)   is still a mystery and my kids happened to barge into my bedroom one evening when I was watching a CNN Special Report on the mysterious events that took place right before contact was lost with the Pilot.

I changed the channel but they both screamed, yelled and begged to watch more. I asked if they were ok with it, made sure it didn’t make them scared. They both nodded in agreement: they were just fine. They found it all fascinating: the size of the plane, the way it diverted its route with no explanation and the fact that no one will ever know what really happened because there are no findings, no survivors, no stupid terrorists proudly announcing it was their doing.

But last night my daughter proved herself wrong (after saying she was fine looking at the images on the screen) when she admitted her fear of me getting on a plane that could be taken by terrorists. She was scared and she should not have seen the documentary. Ok, I will rephrase, I should have changed the channel –period!

Lesson learned. Moving on. So my kids where sad last night, at the same time I was excited about seeing my family for just under a week. Very excited actually. I have to admit, the idea of not cooking, doing dishes or laundry for a full 6 days is always enthralling to me, so it added to the excitement.

My germ-phobic side inundated me the moment I made my first restroom break. I had a laptop, a duffle bag and my purse and there was not a single hook in my stall. I will not get into details of how I managed to “go” without putting a single one of my items on the floor. I will just say laughed at myself in there. Let the fun of travelling begin!

My next overwhelming moment was when, settled into my first row seat, I heard an older lady (I wonder when people will start calling me “older”) started coughing her lungs out, no elbow covering her mouth , no tissue, nothing. Only all these uninvited germs flying all over the cabin, which meant I would, sooner or later, breathe them too. So I got tight lipped and very consciously ordered myself to breathe through my nose only, hoping that my much hated nose hairs would do the job of filtering the germs out. (I am still breathing through the nose only as I type).

A minute later the steward yells at my neighbor for videotaping during take-off, through her window. “No video, only photos”. Go figure. Clearly surprised, she put her Ipad away. I couldn’t help but ask myself: what is so spectacular about taking off over Tijuana?

Then, I immediately remembered just two weeks ago, I was taking pictures of the many empty seats, row after row, at a baseball stadium, because to me, the pattern, the shine on each back rest, the perfection of the rows, looked absolutely beautiful. Many people might have wondered exactly the same thing: what the heck is she taking pictures of?

Reminded and aware that one of my endless resolutions (not for 2015 but a life-long resolution) is not to judge, I decided to forgive my neighbor for attempting to videotape what, to me, was such a meaningless scene.

I am looking forward to the 35 F Degree weather that awaits me. I love winter, I love the cold; it makes me feel very alive, very present in each moment, unlike 100F heat, where I feel like I am weak and melting and evaporating into a dreamy state. Cold air makes my skin feel tight and young. It almost makes me want to toss all my face creams in a bin! My coats, which have been collecting dust and lint for many months now, will finally get some fresh crisp cold air and my boots will remember the shape of my feet again.

If there is any melancholy in my heart right now, it is only because I could not bring my Canon EOS along. I am going to see relatives that I only get to see every 2 or 3 years. Their faces change, their expressions, and the city itself changes too. I love capturing all that with my lens. My phone’s camera will have to do for now.

My #1 Item in my “To-do” list as soon as I set foot off the plane: buy a travel size antibacterial gel.

Chihuahua, here I come.