In an effort to write more often here, I’m going to come up with 30 short posts of things I love, things that put me in a good mood and help me feel better about life, the universe, and everything. These will be listed in no particular order, just a somewhat-random collection of things that make me happy.

First up is flying on planes. I actually have not yet taken a flight in 2015, but I’ve done a lot of flying in the past, and I love the feeling of being in the air. I know a lot of people hate flying, but I took my first flight as a toddler and have been on so many planes since that it feels entirely normal to me.

I always try to take the window seat if I can and look out at the world below. Sometimes I can make out landmarks of cities I’m flying over, which is really fun—I’ve flown over the Las Vegas Strip at night, and I’ve been able to identify cities like Philadelphia and Omaha from above. Often there are clouds that prevent me from seeing the ground below, but sometimes those views are the most beautiful. I remember flying once out of Houston during a storm; it was miserable outside while we were on the ground, but once we were up and over the clouds, we could see the blue skies and the most magnificent, heavenly-looking sunset.

I think the best part of flying is a temporary separation from the noise and chaos of the world, a pause during which I have no responsibilities but to sit, look, out the window, read, and think. There’s a certain perspective that comes with seeing the world from that faraway angle, and I like the feeling of detaching for a little bit. It makes all of my everyday, worldly worries and concerns seem so much smaller.