light x 2

I flew overnight to the Mitten, yet again. (I am a sucker for the cheap flight and maximizing my time there, regardless of the discomfort involved in getting there.)

I flew first class, courtesy of that practically round-the-world trip to the Netherlands last year, and the fact that united was practically the only airline that flew into/out of Universe City. And yet, I did not get that much sleep. I finally figured out why, which is that the first class seats on united are placed juuuuust far enough away from the side of the plane that you cannot lean against the window, ruining my whole general plane plan of just keeling over against the slope of the interior wall and sleeping. Harrumph.

It was fine. Somehow I managed to be That Person, which I rarely am on planes. I have flown enough that I usually just tuck myself into my corner and sit there, accepting drinks when offered. And I wasn't That Jerk-Face Person. I was just That Incompetent Person. My headrest was always in the wrong place when it was supposed to be stowed for take-off and landing (it was really hard to move it up and down). I didn't know where to find my tray table (in the armrest). I woke my seatmate up when I got up to go to the bathroom. You know, That Person, the mild version.

But as I sat there, unable to sleep, the eastern horizon began to glow. There were thunderstorms off to the north, and so the pale light of the day glowed above the dark clouds and the warm light of the lightning glowed in the dark clouds, and I spent quite some time trying to capture it on camera.

This is the best I got, and I think it's pretty awesome for an iPhone* photo taken from a plane window:

* I put my phone in airplane mode before I turned it off for take-off. I am skeptical that a phone in the plane would actually be close enough to interfere with navigation systems (even though I have heard them interfere with sound systems), but I still follow the rules just in case, unlike the girl in my row on my last trip back to Gone West, who was texting as the plane was taking off and landing. If only I were the tattling sort.