AMERICAN AIRLINES CODE SHARE FLIGHT #6119 LOS ANGELES TO HONG KONG on MARCH 11^th.

How are you doing today? I hope that all is well and you are finding a way to enjoy each and every precious moment of your gift of life on this most beautiful day!

I’m at home preparing for my trip to Houston, Texas tomorrow celebrate an exceptionally important event in my life, my grandmother’s 99^th birthday in. I reflected on an experience I had the second to the last time I was on a plane. Since I found it to be a very important learning experience for me I thought that I would share it with you!

My life changing experience occurred about 13 days ago on my flight from Los Angeles to Hong Kong on March 11^th! This experience further reinforced to me just how precious each and every precious moment of my gift of life truly is. It’s really quite amazing how quickly our lives can change in one precious moment!

One moment I was feeling good and in the next moment everything began to change. We had been in the air about 8 hours about 36,000 feet in the air somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. I had eaten dinner, finished a couple of movies and was fast asleep! Suddenly I woke up in pain and I started to feel a shortness of breath and it was challenging for me to breath. I became dizzy and disoriented and I was not able to move. Suddenly, my vision became blurred and all I could see was a dark circle that grew smaller and smaller. In that moment I felt that my life was coming to an end and I passed out.

I woke up over covered in sweat and still now feeling well, but knowing I was given a second chance. I realized in that moment just how precious each and every moment of this gift of life really is! I was 8 hours into a 13-hour flight and for a moment begin to panic. I had no idea what was happening to me and I still felt like I couldn’t move. I gathered my strength and pressed the button for assistance. After a flight attendant arrived I explained to her I did not feel well. Shortly afterwards I was surrounded by several flight attendants and they moved me to a different area of the plane.

I realized that there was not much that could be done for me at 36,000 feet so I began to focus my energy on feeling better! I just kept telling myself “I want to feel good.” I thought about a few lines from a Robert Frost poem, “The woods are lovely dark and deep. But I’ve got promises to keep. And miles to go before I sleep. And miles to go before I sleep.” I just kept telling myself “I want to feel good.” I began to believe that I would be okay.

After a while a while I began to feel a little better and I was able to rest of a couple of hours before we landed at Hong Kong. Upon arrival I was greeted at the airport by a wheelchair that took me the Cathay Pacific lounge where I rested and reflected on my experience.

It had been a very challenging experience and a very important learning opportunity for me! A few hours later I boarded a flight to Narita with a renewed since of just how precious each moment of this gift of life truly is!

I am departing for Houston tomorrow on March 27 and I will be in the Texas March 27th to March 30th. I will return to Tokyo March 31^st.

 That’s all for now! Please take care, stay positive and have a most enchanting day! Alvin