Nur fliegen ist schöner...

A German phrase about the magical attraction of aviation: "Only flying is better/more beautiful." It's an old advert slogan for Opel cars gone into common usage. Still, it pretty much sums it up in my opinion.
There may be countless reasons and advantages to travel on the surface. In many countries it's cheaper than flying - sometimes much cheaper. It's often still the preferred means of domestic travel. It definitely allows you to see much more of the local scenery than just flying over it at 30,000 feet - and that assumes there are no clouds and you have a window seat. If you're lucky you might even make some local contacts on a coach or train. At least, you'll get more of an idea of how everyday people travel. On top of that, you can get up whenever, stretch your legs, take a walk and maybe even open the window. The list goes on.
And yet, despite all this, there's something about taking the airplane that makes it more exciting, something that goes far beyond the vague fear of heights at 10,000 metres. Funny enough, on the train I quoted the absence of foreigners as a plus but on a plane it's their presence that makes it attractive. It is as if you were already getting a taste of your destination. And then, when you arrive and step out of your craft, it's not a gradual change like on a train but with a single bump and screech of brakes the entire world around you changes. As if the great metal bird that speeds you away somehow removed you from your reality and then set you down in a different one. It carries you majestically across a sea of clouds and then a new world materialises around you.
Even arriving at the airport feels exciting. It starts with the electrifying feeling that I'm going somewhere. And if it hadn't before the feeling sure as hell hits me here. Then there's the environment: airports are the main hubs between different parts of the world these days - more so than train stations which used to have that role. There's always a busy coming and going. People from all walks of life, nationalities and cultures can be found here. They say tearful goodbyes, waving until the last moment. At the same time, it's the place where friends and families reunite after being apart, open arms, all smiles and laughter, hugs and kisses. In between, businessmen make last changes to their presentations and children look forward to their hotly anticipated holiday. The air is full of countless languages, a cacophony of announcements, the roar of engines and sometimes even the smell of kerosene. The whole place is filled with an energy that is hard to put into words.
And so the excitement hits me anew every time I get off at the terminal building, every time I walk through the gates. It's almost a magical place. All that Leonardo dreamed of and much more.