I arrived to the the London Helicopter office at the Battersea heliport, where I proceeded through the safety talks and the paperwork, before exiting the building onto the helipad. I noticed that the wind was strong, even at ground level, which built upon my uneasiness, until a loud and consistent thump, thump, thump met my ears. The helicopter was beginning its landing descent from above, and I was bid to keep my back up against the building until it was time for me to board the helicopter. Once aboard, I was strapped in, given a headset and within seconds, I was in the air. A soft feeling of weightlessness met with a distinct feeling of queasiness joined together within me. Rising into the air, the pilot shot off at a harsh face-first tilted angle. He began jetting us further upward at the strong sideways lean, because of the strength of the winds. We waited in midair, suspended and awkwardly tilted until we received clearance to proceed along the Thames river.
Once we regained our balance, the tour began at around 1,000 feet, peaking at 2,500 feet above the city. The people became ants and then faded away into microscopic dots flitting around down far below. My stomach had settled, but my head was light and slightly uneasy still, but the experience was amazing. I could see Big Ben and the London Eye, as well as Tower Bridge and Buckingham Palace, and in the distance I could make out dark clouds, which were unleashing fits of rain upon areas miles away.
Being up high, above it all, and seeing the places I had visited once before, as if it was a lesson, teaching me how truly small I am, in the scheme of the world – and even thoughts of this city and this country, in the larger scheme of the entire universe came to me, which admittedly is quite a bit daunting and humbling. The skies were blue and beautiful, the wind was gusting the helicopter softly in all different directions, and I felt how ethereal and precious life was after a while. Seeing life and the world we live in from a major perspective change like this really makes you appreciate things more, and allows you to let go of the little stuff that adds to unnecessary stresses to living your life.