A world of firsts. I was talking to a friend of mine who was thinking about the number of transportation systems that they had been on or ridden in their life, firsts that were relevant, and other people would consider interesting. This was when and where was your first train ride. When and where was your first airplane ride?
I have ridden on trains in India, Ireland, France, UK Holland, Denmark, Norway, and the US. Each of them was a fun experience. My all-time favorite train ride was up the coast of Ireland from Dublin to Belfast. I liked it because I sat in a comfortable seat, and they brought me breakfast as we traveled through the Irish Countryside. Another great train trip was with my wife from Washington DC to New York City. We ended up hanging out with friends for the weekend, and it was amazing.
Then my friend, who is a little younger than I am (about 20 years younger), asked if I had ever ridden in a prop plane. Prop or Profpeeler planes were the primary flying machines the very first I flew. The DC-3 was a prop plane and flew my family from Indianapolis Indiana, to Milwaukee Wisconsin many years ago. My favorite all-time prop plane was flying from Oahu to Lanai in the Hawaii island chain with my wife. We got to hang out on Pineapple Island for a week and have a blast.
I have been on boats of many sizes but only on an actual submarine (not one that was decommissioned and ina harbor, one that still went understander) one time. I have made many trips in helicopters over the years. One thing I have never done, nor will I ever do, jumps out of a perfectly good airplane with a parachute and hope I don’t hit the ground too hard! I realize I have traveled more than many, but I am sure all of you have a few of these first as well!
Please share your first in the comments!
My first train ride was when I was 5 and my brothers stole my doll, so I got to go ride “up front”. The first commercial airplane trip, we had a little turbulance and the oxygen mask dropped down in front of my face. Mine was the only one that dropped. Those are the only two firsts that I remember.
i would bet having the mask drop was scary.