Yes, I know the entry before this was kind of hurried and there was no reason to think another one would be on the way so soon. I am sitting in the absolute last row on this flight. It is so far back, the gasp of rushing water each time the toilets inhale, is right over my shoulder. It is a kind of liquid punctuation that manages to interrupt every thought. Right now, there are at least a dozen people lined in the aisle, all waiting to step into a little mirrored cubicle with those flushing monsters. The last row is another sign for me to take things as they come; at least I choose to see it that way.

I am not sure there are any environments stranger than being a passenger on a plane. You’ve got a couple of hundred people flying through the air, jammed into a metal cylinder, propelled ahead by motors that suck it forward, while breathing some kind of mechanized air. People stare out the window, looking at the clouds below, lost in thoughts only they know. You’ve got your book readers, your game players, your eyes shut, and music listeners and we can never forget the flying zombies, who don’t appear to have any brain function at all.

This relationship of ours feels a little like the ones you frequently have when you fly. I don’t know how many times I have engaged the passenger next to me. Somehow, you know the conversation is for the length of the flight and it will abruptly end the moment the landing gear touches down. Ours has a little bit of that feel to it, especially at the beginning of our travels. At the outset of this sojourn, I can’t say I have given any thought to the end and what happens after that. It would seem like kind of a shame to spend so much time together on the road and call it quits, but part of this deal is taking it as it comes, remaining open and fluid.

Sitting here with the rest of the sardines feels like I am surrounded by strangers and that’s because I am. We, on the other hand, are going to get to know each other during this ride. Yes, I know it sounds funny because I am going to be doing all the sharing and you are going to be on the receiving end. What I am hoping is that the more I share of myself, the more you will feel inclined to get in touch with your own feelings and thoughts, after all, this is our ride.

We are hurtling through space on our way to Oakland, engines sucking us forward, while the stainless steel receptacles a thin wall away, repeatedly vacuum their contents with a staccato like whoosh.

See you in Berkeley.