Back to New Jersey

As I boarded the plane that would take me back to New Jersey, I couldn't help but laugh. It was a 737, similar to the 727 that we few at NASA and it looked so odd so see it full of seats and luggage and people. The wait to take-off was long, the ascent slow and gradual, the seat uncomfortable. It seems like it wasn't two days ago that I was on the world's most amazing roller coaster, but two years ago. But to call the "Weightless Wonder" a roller coaster is a disservice to both.

But amazing things happen everywhere. First, I watched "Vicky Christina Barcelona," Woody Allen's latest movie about love, lust, passion, and feelings, with the message that life is short, stop thinking, stop analyzing, and just live. Then, we passed a lightning storm at the same altitude that the plane was flying. Below us, the sky was clear but a few miles outside my window was the most spectacular display of lightning. It seemed to be concentrated in two regions, one off in the distance that lit up over and over like the sky on the 4th of July. The other was much closer and much less frequent and we made no obvious attempt to stay clear of it. At one point, a bolt of lightning shot across the sky right next to us and I was both amazed and a little bit scared. 10 minutes later, we were past the storm.

I don't know how any of this is related to my adventures over the last ten days, but it somehow seems the right way to end this trip. The photos from NASA of our flight were posted on the web today, and I'm going to put together a slide show tomorrow and post it here. The photos are incredible and make the flight vivid again in my mind.