Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, once spoke of how we often focus on the small negatives while missing the enormous positives around us. He made note of airline passengers “who spend their time grumbling about the size of the packet of peanuts while they are soaring through the air, far above the clouds—something ancient kings would have given all they possessed to try and experience just once!” 

Indeed, modern air travel is miraculous in comparison to what was available just 100 years ago. At 3:30pm on Wednesday, January 3, 2018, my family boarded a plane in Charlotte, NC. Two flights and 20 hours later, we are on the other side of the world in New Zealand.

My 84-year-old father, who is a world traveller, talented writer, gifted engineer, national competitor in collegiate wrestling and wonderful father (to name just some of his accomplishments) can often be heard saying, “We live in a time of science fiction!” Considering the advances in technology since his childhood “up Sugar Creek” outside Charleston, WV, we do live in an age of science fiction.

My ability to share this note along with pictures and videos is no less miraculous.