Take Me Higher

“Oh this is a great spot,” says Usman. “Bust out your drone here.”

“Alright, bet,” I reply.

We pull over to the side of the road. I prop down the helipad, fire up the drone, call up Pakistan ATC, and get clearance. Within a few minutes, we’re live.

Up and away flies the drone.

We’re circling one of the most beautiful masjids in the world—Grand Mosque, Bahria Town Karachi. With a projected capacity of 800,000 worshippers, it’s set to be one of the largest masjids on earth. At the time, it was still under construction, but I kid you not—it was already massive. Way beyond what I expected.

The light is perfect. Sunset golden. Shadows stretched across domes and minarets. I scope the area, grab a few dramatic angles, and start stacking rowdy visuals for a travel video I was working on. (You can check that out [here if you're curious.)

Suddenly, I notice a shift.

People who were standing in awe of the masjid now start turning toward the sky.
“Oh look, there’s a drone!”
Phones move away from the mosque and toward my little Air 2S. Within seconds, my drone becomes the unexpected star of the show.

Naturally, I had to perform. A few smooth flips and tight maneuvers later, I hear the crowd cheering. It was hilarious. Completely unscripted joy.

I take a quick glance around to check on the fam—and spot Usman Bhai, filming a few clips on the side.

I call out:
“Yo, let’s lay down on the ground for a shot.”

He looks at me, puzzled.
“Right here? Right now? What about all these people?”

“Exactly,” I grin.
I’m a proud driver against the norms, after all.

After some back-and-forth, I convince him. We both lay down right there, in the open. Drone high above. City around us. Frame locked. Click.

“Bro,” Usman laughs, “this is the coolest experience ever. Take me even higher.”

I smile and launch the drone even farther into the sky.

Sometimes it really is the little things.

A pulled-over roadside.
A half-finished masjid.
A drone in the sky.
And two friends laying on the ground laughing like kids again.

We're in control of our own joy.
This one’s not that deep—so take a breath, take a chill pill, and maybe…
take yourself a little higher.