Vocation

Sunday I flew up to the Napa Valley Airport to shorten my transport time up to Napa for a two day work offsite meeting. I am lucky my current employer does not specifically exclude employees from flying themselves to events. I'd never flown to Napa before. Never had reason to fly there and the steakhouse at the airport has been closed for years. The flight there was smooth and short and I was checked in to the hotel and back at work over an hour before my coworkers arrived on their bus.

This afternoon I flew back. The winds were strong but no issue for me or the 172 I was in. The wind just made the plane want to jump off the runway even quicker than usual. Another short flight, this time with a bank of low clouds off my right wing as I flew the corridor from Concord towards Calaveras. The flight was smooth, the air was clear and the clouds were pretty to watch. I came in to land, touched down gently and was off the runway easily at Charlie. As I taxied back to the flight club I was happy and at peace with the world. The life was good. I wanted to think I'd be getting right back into a plane tomorrow, just like I did day after day on my long desert southwest tour earlier this year. That would make life even better.

For now I'll just be happy that I can afford to fly and to train. While I don't fly as often as I'd like, I am still able to fly and train and work towards that day that I can make flying my vocation as well as my hobby. That would really be the life.

Hmmm, I've thought of flying as something I want to make my vocation many times.  I looked up the word "vocation" what does that really mean?

"A vocation (Latin vocātiō - a call, summons) is an occupation to which a person is specially drawn or for which he or she is suited, trained, or qualified."

Yeah, that's about right. My vocation. Not right now, but I know it will be if I keep on my path.