It sounded like a dream come true. Me, Oliver and a road trip of sorts – flying to Charleston for vacation, via Chicago. Some airport time, flight time, window seat time, bonding time, nap time, giggle time, you get the picture. It definitely started that way.

Lea dropped us of at Indianapolis International Airport and we were ready. Our hair was combed neatly. We had twinkles in our eye. Our teeth sparkled. Our shirts were pressed. We had an air about us. Invincible. Confident. Comrades.

My dear, dear Oliver

We played at the airport. Ran into some of my coworkers. Ate some food. And boarded the plane with ease. He was an angel on the flight. I felt like a really great parent. “Yeah” I thought, “This is going exactly to plan.” We looked out the window as clouds waved. I told stories to Oliver. Mentioned he should always carry a flask to a wedding. And then the United Airlines flight attendant brought Oliver milk. He and I were living the sitcom of our dreams.

Up in the air

We arrived in Chicago with a couple of hours. A little too much time in my opinion, but no worries, I had booked this flight with miles. I made a school boy error and ate at Chili’s. That place is horrible. Recalling Oliver enjoys queso, I ordered some. Then I was reminded, he doesn’t like spicy things – or appetizers with 900mg of sodium. Another mistake, but nothing to break my confident stride. I countered this by trying to buy him so ice cream, which I couldn’t find, so a $6 milkshake from Johnny Rockets, had to fill the void.

We walked around. He wandered into the way of every rushing traveler. He sat on my shoulders and observed. He held my hand. We got a good tour of ORD – Orchard Field. We finally settled at our gate which was near two escalators. For the next 45 minutes, I chased him up and down them. I had visions of him getting eaten to death by those frightening contraptions. He viewed them as a cute, fluffy bunny. I was knackered. I’m glad we waited so long to have a kid, but I am envious of 28 year old me in these situations.

And then I heard those dreaded words. “Maintenance issues”.  Another hour of waiting with him rapidly approaching nap time. This was not going to go well. We continued the escalator game. He pooped twice. He was trying to open secure doors. When that didn’t work, he was punching the keypad trying to activate the doors. I was hanging on by a thread. Passengers gave me worried looks.

The thread held though. I started singing to him. And he was not shy in telling me which songs he liked or disliked. I’m terrible with lyrics, so imagine a bunch of songs I’ve either made up, or existing songs with new lyrics. He settled for “You are my Sunshine” and I promise, I don’t really know the words to it. What an idiot. BUT….Oliver fell asleep in my arms. A very proud moment, interrupted 90 seconds later with the announcement to board. Of course he woke up.

The flight attendant put is in the back row. Talk about seen-it-all-before. I tried to settle him down and get him to sleep. He preferred to lunge forward and smack the man’s head in front of us. WTF.

I wrestled with O, played with him, read to him, sang, you name it. He was somewhat behaved and eventually, very slowly, he fell asleep in my arms. YES.

A false sense of confidence fell over me during this nap. I thought about the vacation. My wife arriving on Saturday. Seeing my beloved cousin when I got off the plane. Working on my tan. Taking lots of photos in downtown Charleston. Reading. Writing. Working a bit. Clearing my mind. Running along the beach. Eating lots of fruit. Smoking cigars. Laughing. A lot. Playing with Oliver. All that stuff. And then he woke up. Possessed.

I do not mince words in this moment. My child had vanished and was instead replaced with a devil child. There was screaming, crying, yelling, hitting, biting, back-arching, hyper ventilating, and everything else you can imagine. My phone got thrown 3 rows up. A yogurt covered pretzel (which are delicious btw) got thrown at someone in another row. I bought the poor man in front of me a drink. The flight attendant barely made eye contact with me. I had become that parent with that child on a flight. I could hear the thoughts – “They shouldn’t let kids on planes”, “Someone get that kid to shut up”, “What a useless parent”, “Someone punch that mother f*cker”, and lots, lots more.

I didn’t really give a shit. When you’ve got a child in your arms, that’s obviously suffering, you can endure a lot. I didn’t know I had it in me, but through it all, I remained remarkably calm and unaffected (on the outside). Oliver eventually calmed down about 5 minutes after we fled the scene. He was my sweet boy again. I on the other hand felt like I had been on a four day bender. Exhausted. Demoralized. Spent. Done. Deer in headlights. Game over.

My cousin and I got him to the house and fed. We then walked over to the beach. The sun was setting. The breeze was cool. The sound of the waves sounded digitally remastered. Oliver, wearing shorts and a polo (no longer pressed, but with the stains & memories of the previous 10 hours), hightailed it into the ocean.

Without an ounce of fear, he giggled and screamed with joy as waves crashed into him, splashed his face and made him catch his balance. His smile was huge and immovable. He clapped and stomped his feet. And he would look up and yell “DaDa”. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. It was the perfect ending to any day – even this one.

With the sun finally setting and a wet Oliver in my arms, I thought – “This dad thing, is pretty cool”.

You are my sunshine…

When in Rome...

Most of this has happened alone though.

On Boxing Day, Lea, Oliver and I made the journey back to Indianapolis from Las Vegas. Man, does traveling change with a 15 month old. We left Las Vegas and made the four hour trip to Charlotte. The US Airways staff were so helpful to us. Everyone fears a baby on a long flight.We all made it. The hard part was over.

But it wasn’t. Delay. Long delay.

We were hungry. So we decided to eat. We got ice cream as a treat. We walked around. It got old fast.

Our son Oliver is obsessed with walking around. He’s masterful at cutting people off. He has no regard for beeping golf carts. He’s especially fond of people movers. He’s a skilled zig zagger. Lea and I took shifts. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. Repeat. It was a never ending relay race. And honestly, him standing in the middle of the people mover blocking people late for flights, kind of gets old.

I’ve had some exhausting travel experiences – 36 hour trips, four flights in a day, days stuck in an airport, emergency landings, etc., but I must say, this delay was getting to me. I was stressed, tired, and desperate to get my family home. And of course I wasn’t exactly the best company. I decided to give Lea a break (mostly from me). Oliver and I headed towards the magical land of people movers, rocking chairs (yes they have them at CLT) and a giant airplane mobile. He smile was massive.

We found all of these things. And a piano. Someone was playing.

I picked up O and walked over. It was classical music. And really good classical music – like a savant was playing.

It was a teenager playing, part of a nuclear family of 5. He played most of the music. His sister jumped in from time to time. The younger brother did a clarinet solo. The parents looked on as they played piece after piece with immense pride. I wanted to call my sister and ask her what the pieces were. I thought it was Chopin. I was probably wrong. But I do know this was of a very high caliber. So did everyone else.

This kid was incredible

This family had the entire airport mesmerized. Everyone that passed stopped to soak it in. I stood there holding Oliver for twenty minutes. Oliver couldn’t believe the way this kid used the keys. Neither could I. We put money in their tip jar after every song. Other desperate parents brought their kids up for some respite. It was the most beautiful scene I’ve ever experienced at an airport.

I returned to Lea in a decidedly better mood and renewed spirit. We managed to get on another flight to IND.

Life was good. Life was beautiful. And Oliver enjoyed the flight home.

It goes without saying that I want to be a better husband, father, son, brother, friend and in general, a substantially better human being. But here are some other things I want to focus on in 2011. Resolutions, revolutions, you get the picture.

Music

I really love music, but for some reason I’ve never really focused on it. So, my goal is to listen to more music, build a better listening library and expand my expertise of mid-1980′s to early-1990′s hip hop. I’m already pretty well versed in this time period, but I want to become more of historian for this time period – like a Ph.D. And as a treat for you, here’s my favorite song at the moment – “What you Say” with Pete Rock and INI.

Travel

Traveling is one of my great passions. I mean, I started a Flickr group for the Indianapolis International Airport. This year I was able to visit Japan with work. Tokyo and Japan were #1 on my travel list, so it was incredibly exciting and fulfilling to finally visit. And I loved every minute of it.

He's huggable

Next year, it’s a simple goal in theory. Visit somewhere new. Visit somewhere familiar. My #1 travel destination now is India. And, I need to get back to England. Can I pull that off? We’ll see what happens. But honestly, I would be happy with South Dakota. I’ve never been.

Lifestyle

I made significant changes in the way I live this past year. I mean, really significant. I now eat healthier, exercise more and treat my body with a lot more respect. Thank god. I’m thinking next year I ‘ll maybe dabble with juices or smoothies. Although I don’t think I’m ready for yoga just yet. Baby steps people. I also need to stop eating so much dessert and drinking so much soda.

Wait, that's not juice

Football/Soccer

So I played soccer four times in 2010. I used to play four times in one week. This was a huge void for me and sacrifce in enjoyment, exercise and seeing a lot of dear friends. This has to change next year, and that means more penalty kicks. Can I kick it? Yes I can.

A pair of my slippers

Professional

Well, I definitely don’t need to work more. But there are a lot of areas where I could improve. 2010 was definitely a learning year – new environment, people and content, understanding the culture and trying to assess my role. The honeymoon is over and I couldn’t be happier. This is pretty general, but my goal in 2011 is to be myself. Finally. It’s weird to think I haven’t even hit my stride at work yet. Watch out.

Feeding the mind

I did little to feed my mind in 2010. If it wasn’t work related I didn’t do much. As a creative outlet, I wrote and I took photos. But in other areas, such as reading or watching movies, I did very little. I only watched a handful of films. I’m not sure I read one book this past year (I told you 2010 was rough). So the plan is simple. Continue writing, continue shooting and open my mind to other areas. I might even take up a hobby. Any suggestions?

RobotoWear

Boy has this has dragged on and on. And it’s completely my fault. 2011 is the year it finally launches – a robot inspired clothing line. Stay tuned.

Cooking

Yeah, I want to be a chef. My hope is to become ridiculously rich, travel the world learning the cuisines and then start my own restaurant. I’m working towards that, but in the mean time, I’m hoping to spend more time in the kitchen. Chopping, sauteing, garnishing, cooking, baking, grilling. Is there anything better? Probably – but I love food.

Yum

Hodge Podge

I like the unexpected. I like trying new things. And I try to keep an open mind to new experiences. I am definitely focused on that in 2011 – new opportunities to experience the unexpected. It happens all the time and I never want to take that for granted. So I’m looking at 2011 for experiences that can mold me into a better person, change my perspective, humble me, and make me think. That’s not too much to ask for.

California Dreamin’

Some pie in sky goals for 2011.

1) I become a DJ – Ernest Spinningway

2) I get to fly on Boeing’s Dreamliner

3) I go to India

4) I meet Christina Aguilera

5) I buy a Citroen DS

6) I consult for one of the museum’s on Abu Dhabi’s Saadiyat Island

7) I guest rap on a new track produced by Pete Rock

I’m forced to use a cane for part of 2011

9) LEGO sends me a sh*t load of merch

10) I get to produce a show with Anthony Bourdain

I’ve probably missed a lot, but those are some of the major areas I’m focused on in 2011. And it’s in writing – so the cat’s out of the bag.

What are your plans for 2011? I want to know. I’m interested, but I might also steal your ideas. Hit me up.

Dead Clown

I’ve started several Flickr groups over the past few years. I’ll be highlighting them over time, but today I wanted to focus on the one I started for the Indianapolis International Airport. You can view it in all it’s glory, HERE.

Thanks to Flickr user HOK Network

Indianapolis now has a world class airport. Truly world class. And if you want to learn more about it, I suggest you read this series of posts by Indianapolis blogger and urban contemplator, The Urbanophile. Even if you’re not into airport commentary, read any of his other posts, Indy is lucky to have him.

I’m not proud of the new George Lucas Oil stadium. I’m not that fond of Conseco Fieldhouse. BUT, I am a huge fan of the new airport. The new airport might be the single, most important project this city has ever done. In my opinion, it has made Indianapolis a city. I had the opportunity to tour the new airport prior to its opening and I remember thinking a good tag line for a marketing campaign, could be: “The New Indianapolis Airport: You don’t have to move anymore.” And I’ll bet anyone a beer, it helped Indianapolis in it’s successful bid to become a potential World Cup venue.

So I’m asking you to join my sense of pride. Join the Indianapolis International (flights to Cancun and Toronto) Airport Flickr group. Travel, enjoy free wifi, rest assured your baggage will make it and take pictures!  I know I will.

The baggage nerve center

So, the first of this series focuses on the blog Stuck at the Airport by Harriet Baskas.  I’m a travel junkie and absolutely adore airports. I wasn’t lucky enough to travel through JFK and see the Eero Saarinen TWA terminal during its heyday, but I would have truly appreciated it. To provide a little background, I’ve been fortunate to travel frequently. My favorite airport is Singapore’s Changi and as an Indianapolis resident, I started the the IND Flickr group. Through my work at the Indianapolis Museum of Art, I convinced Patrick Smith, author of Ask the Pilot, to write a beautiful, compelling blog post, The Jetliner as Art. I love airports, traveling and planes.

The beautiful sterile Changi

But enough about me.

I stumbled upon Harriet’s work in the first half of 2009 through some general research about airports and travel. I immediately became a fan of her blog and the many travel, airport and airline related articles she crafts. As it often happens in the online world, we exchanged e-mails, blog comments, and tweets. I remember thinking how cool it was that I could easily connect with someone that I respected. Harriet is a wonderful commentator on the state of modern travel, specifically the culture of airports, airline industry, quirky happenings and the latest in TSA occurrences. Beyond that, Harriet is a pretty big fan of museums, a talented and award winning radio producer, contributor to USA Today & MSNBC, author and much more.  It’s not often I meet someone who shares my passions – travel, airports, airlines, museums and so on. And she’s an expert!

Stuck at the Airport

After some communication, Harriet featured me in one her blog posts – Airport fans: yes, there are some – which made me feel pretty chuffed. Harriet and Stuck at the Airport made this series, because she’s an example of intelligent internet publishing. Harriet is not only active on her blog, online publications and other sites, but synthesizes her content through Twitter (@hbaskas) in a way that is engaging and interesting. Her multiple online methods of communication are fully integrated and connected to reveal her content, her stories. So many people fail at this.

Travel is one of the most rewarding things we can do in life. It’s inspiring, challenging, sometimes life-changing and hard work. Travel helps us understand this world and the beauty of cultural diversity. Harriet has created the perfect job.  So the next time you are planning a trip, in the midst of traveling or stuck at the airport, check out Harriet’s work. She’s totally worth it.

Stuck at the Airport

Her column on USA Today

Her column on MSNBC

And, as part of this “May I present to you…” series, I plan on always asking a series of questions. So here goes -

What drives you? Personally, generally?  General curiosity, mostly.  Oh.. and coffee. That’s what led me to traveling around to visit unusual and offbeat museums for a long running series of radio stories and for books. And that’s what got me stuck at the airport that one day when I decided there needed to be a guide to all the other things (besides waiting) to do at airports.

….Thank you to Harriet for participating in the very first, May I present to you…., series. Stay tuned for the next installment, and if you have someone you think I need to feature, please let me know.