When I was 23 years old, I flew into Hong Kong for the first time. The captain invited me up to the cockpit for the landing. (This was back in the days before the cockpits locked their doors, and also when you could fly right directly into Hong Kong – the new runway is further away from the city now.)

Descending into Hong Kong in the early morning hours, I watched the seemingly enormous sun slowly rise above the apartment building we were flying over. It was magnificent. The brilliant red-orange globe hovered above the buildings where women were hanging their morning laundry and kids were playing catch with a ball. Touching, in its simplicity, and memorable. We flew right beside the sun. I could have reached out and touched it.