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Greater Chicago
Past Chicago from East turning now south toward Texas. O'Hare International Airport an the lower left and downtown Chicage in the middle of the coast. Flight AA37 American Airlines takes off a little late toward south over Glattbrugg (or as we used to say in a literal translation -- Slippery Bridge). Familiar with the airport and the departing routes of all the aircrafts in the area I know that it will make a left turn shortly after. Well, I do not expect to see my mother's house on the other side of the forest, the house I spent most of my childhood by the way, because the turn will be made too early for that. But I was hoping to have a view at my last residence in Kloten, though. Now guess what? Because it's cloudy this morning just seconds after the start we are flowing into the first tattered shreds of low clouds. That's exactly the point why I want to leave Switzerland. Even on my last day it makes me sulky. But then shortly before the 180 degree turn is made the clouds open up and I can see the town and recognize all the streets and the buildings. “Well this is it”, I said to myself. This is the last time you see this place you spent most of your life. Probably not forever but for a long time. Just minutes later the clouds take the view away and Switzerland virtually vanishes -- out my sight and out my thoughts. The flight attendants serve the first drink, a coffee warms my soul.
When I was a kid I was reading a lot. I was at the library almost once a week and took 2 or 3 books which I finished up until next time. At night I had to turn off the light when my parents went to bed. As soon as it was silent I turned the light back on and continued to read. They always wondered why I had those difficulties to wake up in the morning. Guess, they never knew! At the time I started to work as an apprentice and went to vocational school this habit suddenly disappeared. But vacations are always a good time to start that habit again. Because this emigration will also serve as some sort of vacation in the beginning I took a soft-cover with me which I believe I have bought once but actually never had read. It is “ A Painted house” by John Grisham. I cannot say I have read all his books but every one so far was excellent. “The Firm” and “The Pelican Brief” I had to gobble up each in one session. And long before they hit the screen. To my surprise the movies turned out to be brilliant as well. If one of them is on TV I barely can resist to watch 'em. Over and over again. Nowadays you have movies and other entertainment throughout almost the whole flight. “Darn!”, I thought, “you are not going to start that book during this flight!” They are showing I guess four movies, trailers and other broadcasts, the journey takes more than 11 hours from Zurich ZRH to Dallas DFW. Because the sound with the earphones is not exhilarating I skip some of the program and really start the novel. Compared to other books by John Grisham, which are political or legal thrillers, this story seams to be a silent one. Telling the life of Luke, a boy living in Arkansas in the 1950s and the special changes he will encounter in his childhood. I also have some more conversation with the two girls from Texas. We also exchange our email addresses and they seam to be very interested to know how I am doing in the States.
Once in a while I take a glance out the window. Most of the time I have that slider down because the sun is on my left side and it's to glaring. So far I saw either only clouds or only water. Now after some 8 or 9 hours I see land but not much of civilization. Must be Iceland or Canada, I don't know. There is never any sign on the screen or any word by the captain where we actually are. Maybe nobody cares except me. I wonder if a GPS device would work in this tube? Not that I owe one, but ... forget it! Some time later I see that some sort of coast is coming. What kind of a coast this might be, I wonder? I don't expect a coast at this time. Unless we already had passed California!!! I'm in a wrong plane, I thought! But then I remembered the Great Lakes near Chicago. Although there were no clouds the humidity takes a lot of the view into the distance. I couldn't really determine if this is becoming a lake or it's the beginning of the open sea. Then slowly but steadily comes another coast, the other side of the lake. And when we are over that coast I can recognize the skyline of a major city. It must be Chicago. We are finally coming to the US, I realize! In about two hours I will hit the ground running.
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