now boarding! a great new TV show!

As I wind down from the weekend every Sunday evening, I'm usually disappointed by what's on TV. Nothing particularly entertaining.... until now! About a month ago, a new show took off on Sunday nights: Pan Am. And I love it! Have you seen it?
It has the intrigue of travel, fairly good dialogue and plot, and a vintage vibe with culture/fashion/music throwbacks to the '60s Jet Age when getting from Point A to Point B was something passengers dressed-up for.
And then I saw the online Pan Am store. What?!? A Pan Am ... store? Must. Check. It. Out.

I heard angels sing when I caught a glimpse of great travel accessories emblazoned with the iconic Pan Am globe logo. And when I saw the Orion, "the bag that started it all", one of them somehow fell into my shopping cart, LOL. It's so popular that it's on back-order until December, but that's OK. I'm willing to go on stand-by for this cool bag! (OK, I'll stow the flight puns, LOL)
The Orion is a facsimile of the bag that the stewardesses were issued with their uniforms ... I chose the traditional "Pan Am blue" color, and it even has a fabric lining with a fun print of little airplanes, the Pan Am logo, people carrying suitcases, etc. Lots of nifty details, even down to the zipper pulls!
Simply irresistible I tell you! And the airline gave these bags as gifts to first-class passengers flying to Europe. Really??

I'll admit that I had mixed feelings about the show when it premiered ... after all, the way stewardesses ('60s vernacular for "flight attendants") were treated was disturbingly sexist ... they had to have a certain "look", submit to pre-flight weigh-ins, and weren't allowed to get married. Why would I want to watch that? I mean, forget that, women can be PILOTS now! But I gave the show a chance and found that it doesn't focus too much on that aspect, instead dwelling on the glamour of the Jet Age, and great destinations.

Although flying has changed a lot in 50 years, with intense security checks, airline fees galore, flight delays, pretzels instead of 3-course meals, and that sinking feeling of "is this really all the legroom I'm gonna have for the next 10 hours?" when I get in my seat, I love flying and being at the airport! To me, it's the appetizer on the travel menu, with that "getting there is half the fun" concept whetting my appetite for the adventures awaiting me in a new & exciting locale.

Now I can bring a bit of the Jet Age with me in my chic new (non-leather!) bag. And maybe I'll even dress-up a bit for my next flight....