Midway Airport, 10 p.m.

Today's forecast, in fact the forecast through mid-week, is for "mild and murky" weather. Somehow, that suits. After being caught up in the great Southwest Airlines cancellation weekend and arriving home at almost 2 a.m. as a result, I could use some calm and cloudy days to stay home, do laundry and recuperate. 

While I was walking around Chicago's Midway Airport last evening, I thought about how airplanes and hubs have changed the way we think about travel. It's a circular experience rather than a linear one — full of hubs and spokes, more tedious than miraculous. 

Flying west, I was whisked from coast to coast in less than five hours. Coming home, not so lucky.