Travelling from Delhi to Germany was no issue. I gained three and a half hours. When I arrive on Thursday morning I have enough power to start a full day with meetings.
Travelling back to Delhi is different. I travel "against" time, towards the east and I am losing three and a half hours. Plus I travel during the day and arrive at night. The first day after coming back from Germany is tough. Jetlag hits me. And two crazy boys jumping on my exhausted body in the early sunday morning when sleep is the only thing I want, are not helpful.
At the very same day some press article about a new supersonic, superfast airplane is being shared, liked and commented like crazy on Facebook. Travel time from Delhi to New York is predicted with four hours. It makes me think about the general inner meaning and essence of such intercontinental travels.
"Souls can't move that quickly, and are left behind, and must be awaited, upon arrival, like lost luggage." - William Gibson
One fascination of travelling for me is to be in an almost virtual condition of time and space. Being in between two different worlds, where time is almost inexistent, is an amazing thing. It is like standing in a superiour position with a view from a distance on both places: the one that I just left, and the one that I am heading to. Having enough space for the thoughts that are generated by this special point of view is crucial.
If travel times become shorter and shorter - what is it that we are gaining? Some couple of hours. But most probably we are losing a lot more: the fascination of this nowhere land of travelling. And in the end the jetlag will be the same, no matter how long or short it took me to travel.
Photo: Frankfurt Airport waiting lounge. London already going timeless.