Friends,
Good evening from DC and happy Friday after a chaotic week in the world of travel.
The longest U.S. government shutdown in history finally came to an end, air traffic control staffing began to normalize, and airports across the USA started unwinding several days of rolling delays. At one point earlier this week, more than 40 airports were operating under capacity restrictions. You could feel it everywhere.
I flew into Washington, D.C. today, and in the middle of all that news and noise, something small and surprisingly grounding happened. I was traveling with my four-year-old daughter, and as we stepped into the old A-gates concourse at DCA, her eyes went wide. Everything was new — the crowds, the lights, the luggage, the Metro signs.
Meanwhile, I was doing what I always do: moving through the airport on autopilot, thinking about the next step. And she tugged me back into the moment.
It reminded me that travel isn’t just logistics or headlines. It’s expanding, humbling, and good on a soul level, especially when you’re seeing it through fresh eyes.
I unpack more of this, plus a quick look at what the shutdown’s end means for the next few days of flying, in today’s podcast episode. But the bigger takeaway is simple: even in a messy week, travel still has the power to feel brand new.
And that is a good thing for all of us.
Fly well.
