so i had a very interesting flight a couple days ago i had to tell you about.

i was a little disappointed (read: a lot) about not getting upgraded and had to smoosh in with all the common folks in the back of the plane.  it was so early, honestly, i didn’t mind,  but still. not a great start to the week.

i was sitting in the aisle seat of a two seat sider when my seat-mate got to our seats.  she was a young woman wrapped in scarves head to toe.  i didn’t really pay any attention as i knew the person sitting across the aisle from me and we were chatting it up.  flight took off and i opened a magazine and the woman sitting next to me commented on a photo in my magazine.    she pointed at an arrangement with two big leaves from an elephant ear plant were stuck in a pot.  she had never seen anything like that before, she commented.  she went on to tell me that in london, they had another kind of vase.  asking her where she was from, she proudly said “jordon”.  she had great english and was very easy to talk to .  she was so proud of jordon that as we began to talk about it – she started like this:

“Are you a christian?”

“yes!” (me)

“in jordon, we have a rock that jesus touched.  it’s so smooth and beautiful.  you can’t believe it’s been around so long!”

“really?  that is cool!”

“yes, and the jordon river is where john the baptist baptized so many people”

i found it so very intriguing that she started this conversation like this.  on so many levels.  what an instant connection she made with me from the get-go.  and i’m ashamed to say, i could probably say pretty few things about her religion.

we talked the whole trip and she told me the most fascinating things about her life and her introduction to texas.  both her parents got their PHD in the states.  she was born here then moved at 3 years old back to jordon where she was there through college and marriage and two kids.  her father died about 3 years after they returned home to jordon and when she was quite young.  her husband worked for the us embassy in jordon and the us ambassador to jordon convinced him to check out the US.  so they moved to texas about 5 years ago.  this was only the 2nd place she had traveled to by plane in her life.  she is a science teacher.

anyway, just a slice of life. 

it was fun to be able to have a small glimpse into someone’s life.  honestly, i hoped that we would be friends!  i enjoyed talking to her so much.  i gave her my card so who knows.  being down here in texas it’s so easy to slip into a texas way of life which is good but also very limiting.  i so appreciate sitting in first class, but obviously i was meant to sit where i sat!  i, of course snapped a picture of her so i could share with you!  (is that wrong?)