Love in the Clouds (2025)

[bunniefuu]

(soft music)

(metal jingling)

Hey, Jared!

Clients are here.

I'm your pilot, Jared Troy.

(sighs)

Can't wait to get you

up there today.

There's absolutely nothing

like it in the whole world.

Being up in the sky,

floating across the air.

It's absolute freedom.

Yeah. Jared here has been

lifting up balloons

and spirits for so long,

it's second nature,

so you're in good hands.

Before we go, I'd like to

recite the balloonist prayer,

so we'll bring it in.

"May the winds welcome

you with softness,

may the sun bless you

with its warm hands,

and may you land safely

back into the loving

arms of Mother Earth."

Amen! Ready for liftoff?

- Can't wait!

- Let's do it.

Let's go.

(soft music)

Isn't it beautiful?

Floating in the wind.

(woman): It's so peaceful.

(Jared): Take it in!

(woman): Wow.

(Jared): And as captain

of this ship

I declare you

officially engaged.

(couple cheering)

Let's celebrate.

(champagne pops)

May you have a long

and happy marriage. Cheers!

- Cheers!

- Cheers!

Thank you so much for one

of the best days of our lives!

It was our pleasure.

And if you know of anyone

looking for

a romantic balloon ride, please

do send them our way, okay?

Yeah.

Good luck!

Ah, that never

gets old, does it?

Seeing that look of joy

in their faces

when they go up

for the first time?

And witnessing true love, huh?

Love?

That's like trying to control

a hot air balloon

in a windstorm.

(clinking glasses)

(soft music)

(man): Camera three position in.

Camera two zoom in.

Camera one cross fade.

There you have it, folks.

Words cannot espresso how good

the coffee is at Joe's Cafe.

Be sure to make it part

of your daily grind.

You'll love it a latte!

You don't think it was too much

on the coffee puns?

No, it is cool beans!

(laughter) Yeah, it played

well and the audience loved it.

I don't know, I just

feel I had to do something

to jazz up the business news.

Are you not liking doing

business anymore?

No, it's not that, I just...

I want to know what people

are passionate about.

Mary always seems

to cut that out.

(chuckles): Yeah.

(cellphone message)

Speaking of.

This can't be good.

(knocking on door)

Have a seat.

I saw your segment

on the coffee shop.

I know you think you're

being cute with your puns,

but you're a business reporter.

Right. But business doesn't

have to be boring, does it?

If you want to be non-boring,

be a lifestyle

or entertainment reporter.

Until then, stick to the facts.

Right, the facts, I know.

But...

This is your second warning.

Three strikes and you're out.

Okay.

- How'd it go?

- Ahh...

apparently business reporters

can't have a personality.

Have you heard about

the lifestyle reporter job

in Albuquerque?

It's probably just a rumour.

Why do you ask?

I think you should

look into it.

You know, New Mexico

has been on my radar

as a really nice place to live.

Did you know the sun shines

over 300 days

out of the year there?

- I did not.

- I know, that's crazy.

You know, it's too bad

you're not covering

the International Balloon

Fiesta this year,

because I have

always wanted to go.

I know.

You know what? Can you email me

that job posting?

(chuckles): Yeah.

(cellphone ringing)

Mom. Hey, Mom.

Sweetie, you're not home yet?

No, I just dropped

off a balloon.

I'll be home soon, wait,

what are you doing home?

Tonight's your date night.

We haven't been doing

our regular date nights

for a while.

Is that one of Dad's famous

biscochitos?

Wait, I can't see you very good.

Oh, there we go.

Oh no, this is store-bought.

What, store-bought?

Dad loves to bake,

I thought once he retired,

he's be making more, not less.

- Hey, Son.

- Hey, Dad.

Is everything alright with Dad?

Your father has been in a rut

ever since he retired.

Well, then, why did he retire?

I thought it was because

he wanted to spend more time

together, but all he does

is mope around here all

day, like he's...

bored.

Hey, maybe...

he could fly with you more.

I mean, do you have enough

business for that?

Yeah, it's a little bit

turbulent right now,

but if he wants to,

of course, he can.

Clear skies, clear mind.

Well, you always get more

bookings after the fiesta.

Yeah, and if that doesn't work

out, I can always go back

to flying balloons

for advertising.

That's not your passion.

Passion doesn't pay bills.

But you know what?

Don't worry, Mom.

I'll find a way

to keep this business afloat.

I know you will, Son.

- I love you.

- Love you too.

(soft music)

Did you hear?

- (cellphone message)

- What?

Oh, hold on one second,

I think this is Hank

about dinner tonight.

Everything okay?

Yeah.

Bad news?

Um, oh.

(cellphone chirps twice)

(sighs)

It's Mary, she wants to see me.

Good luck.

Yup.

Dwight had an emergency.

Oh. Is he okay?

It's his grandmother in Ohio,

she had a fall.

- Oh!

- She's okay, but it turns out

she can no longer live alone,

so Dwight is going to Ohio

to help her move.

He goes out today,

so you are going to

Albuquerque, New Mexico,

to cover the balloon fiesta.

Wow!

Thank you so much,

I mean, you know

how much I want to prove myself

as a lifestyle reporter,

and, right now is actually

a good time for me to get away.

Look, I know

it's not your usual,

but it saves me the trouble

of finding

a last-minute replacement.

But you'll be gone

for five days.

Okay, great. Thank you.

I'll have Elise come with me.

Uh, there's plenty

for her to do here.

But she's my right hand,

we're a team,

and you do want good footage to

go with the story, don't you?

Fine! You guys can stay with

Dwight's parents in Albuquerque.

No, no, that's okay.

We can get a hotel room.

Are you kidding?

It's the International

Balloon Fiesta.

Hotel rooms are booked

years in advance.

Hmm.

I'll find you guys

a place to stay.

Okay. Thank you very much.

Mm-hmm. And just

so we're clear,

you still have to stay

within the parameters

of what the station wants.

We don't report daily,

we just need a sensational,

entertaining five to seven

minute segment

that will air at

the end of the fiesta.

Any ideas you have,

you can pitch them to me

when you're there.

But I have the final say.

Is that clear?

Got it.

Thank you.

(sighs)

So...

we are headed to New Mexico!

What? And you got Mary

to let me come with you?

Of course! We're a team.

And I need to nail this story,

and you are my secret weapon.

And, you know,

Mary gave me an ultimatum.

I already have two strikes

against me.

- One more and...

- That's ridiculous.

You're a great reporter.

On top of that.

Um, Hank broke up

with me via text.

Oh, that's the text you

got when we were...

- Mm-hmm, yeah.

- Coward.

And I really hope you

don't let this one jerk

turn you off from love.

You know me,

I'm such a hopeless romantic.

And, to be honest with you,

we weren't dating that long.

I know that special someone

for me is out there somewhere.

I just have to find him, right?

(Mary): So, our reporter and

camera op will film you

and you get publicity

for your business.

Publicity for my business.

Heck yeah, I could use it.

I mean, that'd be great.

(Mary): Okay. Oh, and can

they stay with you?

Sure, yeah. I can host them

while they're here.

I have one condition.

Okay, what?

Ballooning, my business,

it's all fair game,

but my personal life,

it's off limits. Clear?

Of course,

I'll let the reporter know.

I'll email you the details.

Yep.

(airport din)

You know what,

I never even asked you.

Do you want to find love?

Oh, I mean I'm not really

looking for it, but,

I suppose if it fell in my lap.

If only it were that easy!

(cellphone ringing)

- Guess who?

- Oh.

Hey, Mary. Yeah,

we're at the airport.

Oh great.

I found a hot air balloon pilot

for you to stay with.

He has his own company

and he's been flying

for 30 years.

Okay, if you don't mind

texting me the details.

Just so you know,

he was very adamant

about not covering

his personal life.

Okay, I will

take note of that.

Which makes me think

he's hiding something.

And when someone's

hiding something,

There's always a story there.

I'll leave it up to you

to find it.

Oh, I will.

I will make you proud.

I'm counting on it.

Thank you.

So a hot air

balloon pilot, huh?

Well, you heard Mary.

He's a sweet older man,

who has been

a pilot for over 30 years,

and apparently has secrets.

(Jared's mother): Bye, dear.

Heading out ow.

Honey, you just

did this last week.

I know, but you know

I like to stay busy,

and I'm running out

of things to do.

(mug clatters)

There's plenty

to do besides cleaning.

You're right,

The Price Is Right is on.

I'll do this later.

Where's my goodbye kiss?

(airplane whirring)

(PA): Welcome to Albuquerque

International Airport.

So, how did you know that

I'm afraid of flying?

Oh, you white knuckling on

the plane was a giveaway.

Well, you might be surprised

to know that I'm afraid

of a lot of things.

Spiders, snakes, bats, ugh!

Don't get me started

on their beady little eyes.

I am afraid of a lot of things,

and I'm deathly afraid

of heights.

But we're going to

the Balloon Fiesta.

I know. And I cannot get

in that hot air balloon.

Okay. Um, I'll think of

something to cover for us.

Well, I was thinking that

you could go in

the hot air balloon.

I mean, that is on your bucket

list of things to do, right?

Yeah, so I want you

to enjoy the fiesta.

I'll come up with something for

myself, don't worry about me.

(car honking)

Hey, Uber's here.

- Oh, actually, it's about to go!

- No, wait!

(knocking)

Hello?

You think he might

be hard of hearing?

30 years in the business,

he must be retired.

Are you sure this

is the right place?

- Yeah, um...

- The pilot's house?

Yeah, I mean...

I can't believe it, you know.

I forgot my sunglasses,

I never need them in Seattle.

Oh! You're the best.

- Thank you.

- I know, you're welcome!

Hi. Yes, do you

have any hotel rooms?

Oh, you don't need to laugh.

(sighs)

I guess Mary was right

about all the rooms

being booked up around here.

- Now, what do you want to do?

- Uhh. Oh, he's here!

(gasping)

Thank goodness!

Who is that?

I don't know,

but that can't be the pilot.

- Oh, hi!

- Hi.

We're here waiting to

meet Jared Troy?

You're looking at him.

(chuckles)

Oh, hi! I'm, I'm Brooklyn,

the reporter from...

New York. No?

Yeah, I get that a lot.

Um, my mom loved

the name Brooke and Lynn,

so she just combined the two.

Yeah, I see that.

That makes sense.

(clears throat)

Oh, um, this is Elise,

our videographer.

- Nice to meet you.

- Nice to meet you.

Some uh, nice shades!

Oh, thanks!

Well, I'm sorry I'm late,

I had a few things

I had to take care of.

Oh, that's okay!

We were not waiting long.

Eh?

Oh, well...

Good, now let me help you

with your bags.

Thank you, I'll get this.

The uh, hot air balloon pilot

is kind of hot, don't you think?

Shh, quiet!

(laughter)

This is definitely

going to be an adventure.

Wow, really nice home.

Thanks.

There's two guest rooms.

One down the hall,

and the other,

just around the corner.

You ladies hungry?

Oh, I'm not,

but I bet Brooklyn is.

Yeah, you two go ahead.

I have to uh, clean my camera.

Alright, have fun with that,

it's right this way.

(giggles)

(Brooklynn sighs)

You know, thank you so much

for hosting us

at the last minute.

Oh yeah, of course.

Like I said,

we've got plenty of room.

You do, um,

do you live here alone?

Yeah, just me. All by myself.

Wait, do you think this place

is too big for one person?

Er, no, no, no, I didn't,

I didn't mean it like that,

it's that,

it's a big home, you know?

I was just messing with you.

I'm so sorry,

we don't have very much food.

To be honest with you,

my fridge looks exactly like that.

Yeah, I don't cook.

I love to cook, I just don't

do it that often

for one person, you know.

You make me a list, and I'll

pick up whatever you need.

- Thank you.

- Want some green chili?

No, thank you.

(chuckles)

I'm not a fan of spicy food,

I have a little bit

of a sensitive stomach.

(Brooklynn chuckles)

Let me take your coat.

Yeah, thanks.

So, um, what time do you

want us up in the morning?

- It's early.

- Yeah, how early is early?

We have to be out

the door by three.

What? Three AM?

I mean, I'm, I'm just

going to bed by that time.

I mean, because I,

I work so much,

not because I'm out, like,

clubbing or anything.

Right, right, right.

I mean I work all the time too,

but when you love what you do,

it doesn't really feel

like work, does it?

- Ehh.

- Right.

- Right.

- Right.

Well, I'd better

get unpacked and go to bed.

Need my beauty sleep.

No you don't.

Hm?

No, I mean, do you really need

to go to bed this early?

- It's like.

- Yeah.

Yeah, okay. Good night.

Good night. Thank you again.

Thank you.

Just down the road, and,

down the road, take a right.

- (laughter)

- Thank you.

Alright.

(sighs)

Just down the road.

That was smooth.

(clears throat)

(knocking on door)

Elise? Hello? Hey.

- Oh, god!

- Oh, I'm so sorry!

So sorry.

(Elise laughing)

Okay, so we gotta be up

before three AM tomorrow.

- Oh.

- Yeah.

By the way,

I did not see a ring

on his finger!

Oh my goodness!

It doesn't mean

that he's single.

Although he did say that

he lives here alone.

But that doesn't mean that

he doesn't have a girlfriend,

or even a fiance.

Okay well, if he's single,

I think you should go for it.

(sigh)

What?

I have a good feeling

about you two.

I think love is in the air!

(laughter)

Alright, okay.

Are you going to try

to get an interview

for the lifestyle job?

I could look into that

but I know they're going

to want a demo reel.

Well, you have

a ton of footage,

so I can go ahead

and put something together.

But for now,

we gotta go to bed.

So, goodnight, and I will

see you tomorrow.

You mean tonight? Nyah!

(soft music)

(sighs)

You reading a book

about World w*r II?

(Brad sighs)

Yeah, I thought it

would make me tired.

Mmm. You having

trouble sleeping?

Yeah, it's like

I'm more tired now

than when I was

working full time.

You feeling okay?

Maybe we should

get you to a doctor.

No. I'm fine.

I don't need a doctor.

Goodnight, honey.

(sighs)

(keys clicking)

(soft music)

Wow. He's broken all sorts of

records in ballooning.

Who in the world becomes

a professional balloonist?

I mean, it seems

more like a hobby.

Can you really make a living

flying hot air balloons?

Huh.

Words cannot espresso how good

the coffee is at Joe's Cafe.

Be sure to make it part

of your daily grind.

You'll love it a latte!

(chuckles softly)

(gentle music)

(Elise): Hi, good morning.

Have you tried this? It's fire.

Probably literally.

No, that looks way too

spicy for me.

Wait, hold on,

are you two seriously

both eating green chili

for breakfast?

Yes, it's the breakfast

of champions.

What is that amazing smell?

That is pion coffee.

- Ohh!

- Yeah.

It's made from the nut

of our state tree,

they make firewood

with it and coffee.

- Give that a smell.

- Wow!

- It's really good.

- Oh!

- You want some?

- It's incredible. Yes, please.

I need to bring some

of this home with me.

Unless you move here.

Then, you know,

you can have it all the time.

- Move here?

- Yeah.

Brooklyn's gonna be applying for

a lifestyle reporter job here.

Okay well, let's not

get ahead of ourselves.

- Here you go.

- Thank you.

I Googled you and checked out

one of your segments.

Was it, how'd it go,

"You'll like it a latte?"

(laughter)

That was cute, I liked it.

Thanks.

Well, I Googled you, too.

- Oh boy.

- Uh, no, no, no.

I saw that you are quite a

hotshot in the ballooning world.

Yeah, certainly not in

it for the fame and fortune.

You know, maybe you can

take Brooklyn on a tour,

since she might be moving here.

Elise, he's a pilot,

not a tour guide!

Yeah, I'm not sure we're

going to have much time

for sightseeing, but um.

Well, let's get flying.

I gotta go warm up the truck.

Flying? Wait, flying?

What are you doing?

I'm matchmaking!

Well, could you be a little

less obvious, please?

No, I cannot!

(laughter)

(Brooklynn): Brrr!

It's dark and it's cold.

Do you always get up this early?

Yeah, it helps beat traffic.

Plus, I'm a part

of the Dawn Patrol,

which is a special group

of balloons that go up

before sunrise on the days

of the mass ascension.

Oh yeah, I read

about mass ascension.

That's when all 500 balloons

go up at the same time.

- That sounds scary!

- It's exhilarating.

Well, there's a fine line

between fear and exhilaration.

It's the biggest fiesta in

the world with, like you said,

500 balloons, and over

a million visitors.

Does it ever get old for you?

Never.

There's nothing like it,

the special shapes, the crowds,

the camaraderie with the pilots,

the look on people's faces,

how they just light up

when they first see a balloon.

- Wow.

- It's the best.

When did you

start your business?

Just after high school,

with my parents' help.

My dad owns a taekwondo studio,

he's a black belt.

Remind me not to

get on his bad side!

(laughter)

But I did read on the website

that your dad is a pilot,

and your mom is, too.

Yeah, both of them.

Granddad too, this is actually,

this is actually...

this is actually his jacket.

So, why did you

decide to focus

on romantic balloon

rides for couples?

It helps me distinguish a bit

from the other

air balloon companies.

Okay, so it's basically

just like a branding concept.

Because everyone

loves love, right?

Mmm.

- Do you?

- What?

Love love?

It's...

it's a marketing angle.

(soft music)

(PA): Welcome to the Fiesta.

(car honking)

Alright.

- Thank you.

- You're welcome.

Buenos das! What a great

morning for an adventure, huh?

Yeah. Elise, Brooklyn,

this is my cousin Carlos.

This is Brooklyn, Elise,

they're from Seattle.

Uh... hi.

(Brooklyn): Great.

So they're here doing

a story on the fiesta.

Great. You're from Seattle?

I love it up there,

the vibe, the music scene,

even the rain.

You know, Elise,

she loves music,

she's always listening

to something.

Really? What kind of music

do you listen to?

Mainly alternative.

Oh, me too. I just saw

The Muddy Boots in concert.

You saw The Muddy Boots

in concert? No way!

I love them.

Oh, I'm so jealous.

So,

you're the cinematographer?

Just the camera tech but

I've always wanted

to be a cinematographer

for a sci-fi film.

Well, there's a great

film industry

here in New Mexico.

I've always wanted to be

involved

with the movies as well.

Maybe I could be

an extra or something.

Yeah. Yeah, of course.

You have great teeth,

so that would...

Maybe you two

should go hang out.

Maybe we should go set up.

Let's go, pal.

Yeah.

What are you doing?

Playing matchmaker.

Nice teeth!

I know!

(laughter)

(fire hissing)

(upbeat music)

Amber.

Jared.

Turner?

Come on.

What was that about?

Huh.

Hey, you're the guy

that offers

romantic balloon rides, right?

That's right, Jared.

Oh thanks.

I'm so glad I found you.

I'm proposing to my girlfriend.

Next month.

We've only been together

for two months,

but when you know, you know.

Two months. Wow. Congrats!

- Thanks!

- Yup. Good luck!

Two months,

he's already proposing.

Well, you heard the guy.

"When you know, you know."

Yeah. Doubt they even

make it to the proposal.

(Jared grunts)

Wow.

For a pilot that offers

romantic balloon rides,

he sure seems down on love.

Huh.

(Jared grunting)

- Morning.

- Uh, Mom!

Brooklyn, Elise,

this is my mom and dad.

This is Jane and Brad,

the aircraft radio's

missing in this.

So great to meet you both,

although I was told

to stay away from you, hi-yah!

(laughter)

Uh, yeah. I heard you used to

own a taekwondo studio,

and maybe you could

teach me some real moves?

Oh, but I'm retired now.

Oh, honey. Just because

you're retired,

doesn't mean you

can't show her some moves.

I thought we put

this all behind us.

So Brooklyn,

she's uh, the reporter.

So, but she leaves in Seattle,

and they are both

staying in the house

while they cover the fiesta.

- Nice to meet you.

- Oh, so nice to meet you.

I hope my son

is being a good host.

- Yes, he is.

- Great.

I tried to raise

him to be a gentleman.

Well, you did a great job.

Now I did hear that

you used to be a pilot,

maybe I could ask

you some questions?

Sure. But you might

want to interview Brad,

he's the one with the stories.

Oh I, I don't know.

He's being modest.

He has talked at balloon

seminars all over the world.

Hey, why don't we all go to

dinner one night at El Pinto?

Oh, that is the best place.

We always take all of our

out of town visitors there.

And then afterwards, we go

back to our place for dessert.

Brad is an amazing baker.

I suppose I could

bake something.

Maybe you could make

your famous biscochitos.

- (cellphone ringing)

- My phone. I'm so sorry, um.

It's my boss, it's Mary,

excuse me one second.

I'm gonna go set up.

It was nice meeting you both.

She seems nice.

And I didn't see a ring on

that finger.

- Mom!

- What?

She's a reporter

who lives in Seattle.

We're just hanging out

because I need the publicity.

(clears throat)

I can feel it.

Love is in the air.

So, Mary,

you're up really early.

I never left.

I'm calling to see

if you found out

what the pilot is hiding.

My intuition tells me

there's a story there.

Uh, no. I'm, I'm really sorry.

You know,

Elise and I were joking

that for a pilot that

offers romantic balloon rides,

he's really jaded about love.

Jaded. Jared.

That's it, that's your story.

No. No, no, no, Mary.

I was just making small talk

with you, that's all.

I can see it now.

"Pilot offering romantic

balloon rides,

but is himself

closed off to love."

People will love it, the irony.

A-Actually, I, I...

That's it,

that's the story I want.

Remember, three strikes and...

I know, I know.

I'm out, I remember.

(PA): Welcome the Fiesta.

It's windy out there folks,

we're hoping to see

that green flag.

(soft music)

- Oh no.

- What does that mean?

That means we got

a yellow flag.

And we gotta wait to see

if the wind dies down.

- Oh.

- I'm sorry.

I know you were really excited

to get up, get flying today.

Nope.

I mean, no I was, but you

can't control the weather.

Yeah, one of the things you

learn real early as a pilot

is to let go of expectations.

So many things are

just out of our control.

Hey Jared, why don't you show

Brooklyn around the fiesta?

Well, cause I gotta wait

and see if we get a green flag.

Your father could go up.

Oh no, I'm just a participant

this year, remember?

Oh I could go up, and maybe

Elise could come with me?

I think until we

get a green flag,

Elise and I should go grab

some footage. Okay? Come on.

- Well, it'll die down.

- I hope so.

(Elise): Ready in,

three, two, one.

Albuquerque has what's

known as "the box."

It's a predictable

set of wind patterns,

that allow the balloonist to

navigate within a vertical box.

The surrounding mountains

form the sides of the box,

and the flat desert terrain

offers unlimited landing spots,

where the crew can meet up

with them.

It's not a race,

but a pleasure cruise.

For 50 years, the Balloon Fiesta

has attracted balloonists

from all over the world

for one week of festivities.

The main event is

the mass ascension,

where 500 balloonists

take to the air

in groups every 20 minutes.

To find out how

balloons operate,

I asked veteran pilot Jared Try

to give me a look inside.

The fabric is

a silk-like synthetic.

Very strong and light.

Hot air is lighter

than the surrounding

high altitude atmosphere here,

so when the propane gas jets

have heated the air

inside enough,

the balloon will rise.

To descend, the pilot has ropes

to open the flaps at the top

and sides of the balloon.

When hot air escapes,

the balloon descends.

A balloon can only

go up or down,

the rest is up to the wind.

It's a simple process that

has worked for centuries.

(Elise): And cut!

Brooklynn that was great.

Now why don't you go entertain

your out of town friends?

Your father and I can

finish up here.

What happened to just

being a participant?

Are you gonna,

come on, seriously?

Go!

I could've used some help here.

Our son is an adult, darling.

Even an adult needs

a push now and then.

(Jared): Well, that's it,

we're done for the day.

If you ladies have anything

you feel like doing?

Um, is there

a night balloon glow?

(Carlos): Oh, you'd love that.

There's a drone show

and fireworks, and that's when

they light up all the balloons

at the same time.

Yeah, you had me at

"drone show and fireworks."

You know what?

Why don't the two of you

hang out and have some fun?

Okay, yeah. Cool.

- Up for it?

- Yeah.

Ah, young love.

(chuckling)

What? Come on, you can't tell me

you don't see the chemistry

between those two.

I'm pretty oblivious

to that kind of thing.

How can you be?

You're a pilot that offers

romantic balloon rides,

that's your whole

marketing schtick.

Yeah, it separates me

from the competition.

You've never been in love,

or engaged, or married?

Hah, have you?

Well, to be honest with you,

I'm not exactly winning it

in the relationship department.

Why not?

Well, I'm a hopeless romantic.

It all starts off with

fireworks and butterflies,

but then it just fizzles out.

See that's the problem,

you're focused on

butterflies and fireworks.

I think that love is

more grounded.

Sort of like my parents.

They really set the bar high.

Although they're going through

a bit of a rough spot right now.

But every relationship

goes through rough spots.

(deep inhale, exhale)

- Do you know what?

- What?

I want to show you

the Balloon Museum.

It's not this way,

it's that way.

- Cool, okay.

- Let's go.

Some great exhibits in there.

And maybe even famous

balloonists.

Hi, guys.

(inaudible chatter)

- Oh look, dogs! Aww!

- Ah yeah.

This is Paws and Stripes,

they're uh, they save

two lives at a time.

Really?

Yeah, they put together

rescue dogs with vets.

That one's Moxie over there.

Hi, sweetheart!

Let's go see Moxie.

- I want to say hi to Moxie.

- Hi guys.

Hi Moxie! I love the kisses,

thank you! Aww.

- They're so cute.

- So precious.

- He likes you.

- He does. I like Moxie.

Wow! Those pins are beautiful.

You should get one,

people collect them.

- Yeah. I think I will.

- Here, allow me.

- Thank you.

- This is the one, huh?

- Yeah, I like that one.

- Alright.

Ow!

What?

- Awww!

- Kidding!

Come on.

(laughter)

- You...

- I was messing with you.

(fairy tale chime)

(soft music)

There's one more thing.

Okay, does everything have

green chilies on it here?

Everything that's good!

Very funny.

So, how old were you when you

knew you wanted to be a pilot?

I must've been

around eight years old.

Mmm.

That actually makes sense,

because all the business people

that I ever interviewed,

they all knew exactly

what they wanted to be

at a very young age.

Yeah, my dad had this company.

Like, he would fly balloons

for this real estate company

that he worked for.

Advertising as a side hustle.

And so that's the first time

I realized that hey,

you could fly people around

in balloons for money.

Hmm.

Because of the advertising?

Yeah. So now,

I have my own business

where I get to fly people

around in balloons.

Mmm. You're so lucky

to be doing what you love,

and make a living at it.

Do you know how few people

can actually say that?

Yeah, I guess so.

What about you?

- Hmm.

- Do you love your job?

Do you love what you do?

Um, I used to.

I mean, business reporting,

it's all facts, financials.

A little boring.

So I was thinking about making

the leap to lifestyle reporting,

cause it's not so dry.

Okay, hold on, we're not,

yeah I'm here to interview you.

- You're interviewing me?

- I'm interviewing you, yes!

(laughter)

You know what you're doing.

Oh, okay,

what do you want to know?

Okay, what I want

to know is...

What do you love most about

being a pilot?

Well, it never gets old.

You never land at

the same place twice.

You never even have

the same day twice.

Every day is like it's own

unique experience.

But you know,

I think the best part

is seeing the joy

in people's faces

when they first experience

a balloon ride.

It's like seeing a kid

light up on Christmas morning.

(romantic music)

You guys ready for fireworks

and drones?

Oh! Oh, we're not

interrupting, are we?

Nope.

- Want some fries?

- Yeah.

(Jared): Ah, the fireworks

and drone show

is one of my favorites parts

of the balloon fiesta.

(fireworks popping)

(crowd cheering)

Wow. Hey.

Jared's passion for hot air

ballooning is so contagious

that it almost makes me want to

get up in a hot air balloon.

You know, I said almost,

okay? Relax!

(laughter)

(crowd cheering)

(Brooklynn): What a beautiful

way to end the evening.

(dog barking)

- Oooh, I like that. Yes.

- Yeah.

- It's perfect.

- It's great.

By the way, you and Carlos

seem to be getting along.

Yeah, we have the same

tastes in podcasts and music.

I didn't know that you wanted

to be a cinematographer

in movies.

Maybe you'll do well

here in New Mexico.

Yeah. Well, you and Jared

seem to be hitting it off,

and you might

actually live here.

Well, I might need a new job

if Mary fires me.

I just have to find an

impactful angle to this story,

but not at the expense of Jared.

Nice, he's just such a nice guy,

doing what he loves and...

I just really admire that

about him, you know?

Mm-hmm.

- I'll figure something out.

- I know you will.

You always do.

Thanks.

You're welcome.

Have a good night.

You too, goodnight!

(romantic music)

Ah, another yellow flag.

Darn, I was hoping

we'd go up today.

Well, I could take you

to the balloon museum,

show you the history of

ballooning.

You know, the first hydrogen

balloon was a...

might be kind of boring.

No, it sounds uplifting!

(laughter)

Okay! This way.

Oh sweetie, why don't you show

Brooklyn around town?

I hear she might be moving here.

You know I can't do that, Mom.

What if we get a green flag?

Um, I suppose I could pilot

this thing if we get a flag.

- Really?

- Yeah.

Alright. You ready to see

the best of Albuquerque?

Oh, are you offering

to be my tour guide now?

Yeah, something like that.

Thanks, Dad!

You got it.

I know what you're doing.

(gentle music)

Can you blame a mother

for wanting her only son...

Um, I think it's

a little more than that.

(Spanish guitar music)

(Jared): In New Mexico

we fire roast our green chili,

buy it by the pound

and eat it all year long.

Hey, let me get one of these.

Uh, yeah.

Thanks!

And a chilis.

Yeah, 10 pound's good.

Here you go,

give you some money.

Thanks.

(Brooklynn): This is beautiful.

So, do you ever get to follow

up with any of the couples

that get proposed on

your balloon?

Mmm, not really.

No? Darn, I was hoping

to interview on of them.

I mean, most of them probably

aren't even together anymore.

Statistically speaking.

Well, love isn't about

statistics.

Let's have a seat. C'mon!

Alright.

(Jared grunts)

So, what would you say

was the most romantic proposal

to ever have happened

on your balloon?

(laughter)

Yeah, that's easy.

There was this guy who wanted

us to write on a big banner

"Will You Marry Me?"

and on the ground.

And the challenging part was

that I had to coordinate

flying over that point

at the exact moment

that they were

holding up the banner.

Wow! That does sound romantic,

but wouldn't it have been better

if somebody was in

the balloon next to you,

holding up the banner?

I mean, don't you think?

It was a successful proposal.

And hopefully,

a successful marriage.

Yeah, I mean,

sometimes I think people spend

so much time on the proposal,

and on the wedding,

and they don't spend any time

at trying to make

the marriage actually work.

That's a good point.

You sound like you're

speaking from experience.

(curious chiming music)

No, I just uh, you know,

I just think that marriage

is a lifelong commitment,

and it's not something you give

up on at the first sign of...

(cellphone ringing)

- Agh.

- You should prob... Go ahead.

- No, no, no. It's okay.

- No, go for it, seriously.

No, I'm sorry.

Please, continue.

- It might be important.

- No, continue. I'm so sorry.

You know what?

I have some place else

I want to take you

that you are gonna love!

Okay!

(Brooklynn groans nervously)

Uh yeah. Okay,

so how much longer

are we going to be

in this thing?

(Jared): C'mon, just try and

relax.

Please don't move!

Just don't sway this thing!

Okay, it's okay, it's okay.

Look at me, look at me.

Just breath.

I had no idea you

were afraid of heights.

Why didn't you say something?

Please don't move.

Just don't sway this thing,

please.

Brooklyn, Brooklyn,

look at me? Look at me?

Take a deep breath.

(Brooklynn inhales slowly)

Let it go, that's right,

you're slaying dragons here.

(laughter)

Take a deep breath, look at me.

(deep inhale)

That's right.

That's it.

Rising above your fear.

(Brooklynn): Thanks you.

(Jared): You did it!

Ah, I'm proud of you.

You know why they call

this Sandia Mountain?

Nope.

Because sandia means

watermelon in Spanish.

And at sunset, they get

this incredible pink hue.

Whatcha looking at?

So do, do we need to take

the tram to get back down?

Or are their options?

I suppose I could take

the tram down,

grab my truck and come up

the back side of the mountain.

But, then you would be up

here alone for a while.

(groans)

No thank you.

You'd do that for me?

Sure.

Thank you.

(soft music)

(children squealing)

(hot air blowing)

We got the green flag!

Hop in. Hop in!

(fire hissing)

Should we find Jared?

- I got it.

- Let them have their fun.

Hang on right here, okay?

Oh we made it! Oh, we made it!

(sighs)

(laughter)

- Come on, come on.

- Thank you so much.

Thank you so much!

Oh, thank you for talking me

through that.

- Oh. Thank you.

- You're welcome.

(cellphone ringing)

Sorry, I've gotta get this.

Mary! Hey Mary, I'm actually...

I'm calling to see if you

found out what the pilot...

- No, no. I, I...

- The clock is ticking.

And so far, I have

seen nothing from you.

You have 24 hours

to get me something.

- Hungry?

- Oh yeah!

Really.

(Spanish guitar music)

Life is like flying.

Sometimes you rise, sometimes

you sink, but you always land.

- Cheers to that.

- Cheers.

- Thought you could use a drink.

- Oh! Mm-hmm.

Oh, you have no idea.

I mean, the tram just swayed

over every single post, oh!

You know, I am actually not

a big fan of heights myself.

What? That doesn't make sense,

you're a pilot.

Yeah, I know, but I'm not

gonna stand on the edge

of a building and stare over

the edge and look down.

I have a rational

fear of falling,

but not an irrational

fear of heights.

Yeah, unless the tram pummels

to the ground,

or you fall out of

the hot air balloon, mmm?

It's not gonna happen,

statistically speaking.

You and your statistics!

You are much safer in

a hot air balloon

than you are in a car.

I mean,

especially around here.

Mmm.

Fear is in your head.

Danger is real.

Right, but I do think that...

fear exists to protect us

from getting hurt.

- Right.

- I mean, you can't tell me

you don't agree with that,

right?

I mean, aren't you

afraid of anything?

- Of course!

- Well, okay, what then?

- Hi!

- Hi there!

- Good to see you.

- What can I get for you?

- Oh. Please.

- I'll have the enchilada plate.

Ooh, me too.

Great. And uh, red,

green or Christmas?

Christmas?

Christmas, red and green

chilies together, you know what?

I think she should probably

have hers on the side,

and I will have

the regular on top.

- Great. Sounds good.

- Thank you.

Speaking of Christmas,

you should see

the luminarias around here.

Mmm, I would love to see them.

New Mexico seems like

such a nice place to live.

It is.

But Seattle's your home, right?

Yeah.

I think home

is wherever your joy is.

Ohh! So good.

Oooh! That's spicy!

That's what

the sopapillas are for.

Okay, thank you.

Oh no, no, that's not how!

That's not how you do it.

- No, no, no.

- What, what, what?

Put that down.

You cut, you pull the corner.

Yes. Here, I'll do it for you.

You fill it with honey,

I mean some people fill,

but there you go. Try that.

- Mmm, mmm. That's good.

- Better?

Oh here, you have a little

something right on the.

(Spanish guitar music)

You've seen the mountain,

eaten the best meal.

One more stop.

Oh, this is so cute!

I love him!

(laughter)

Wow.

This reminds me

of the blue sky here.

This is beautiful.

It is.

Hmm.

Hm!

Hi! We got the green flag

and I got to up in a balloon!

- What? You did? That's amazing!

- Why didn't you call me?

Dad took her up.

Because we wanted you

to have fun. Did you?

Well, other than

fearing for my life

and burning my mouth on chili,

yes, I had a great time.

- I want to hear all about it.

- Yes, and me too!

And we can plan

our trip to El Pinto.

- Perfect!

- Yes. I'll catch up with you.

Okay.n.

It felt so great

to be up there in the air.

Clear skies, clear mind.

It felt good

seeing you up there.

(sighs)

- It's been a while.

- It's where you belong, Dad.

Yeah.

(soft music)

(Jared): As darkness fall

it's a longstanding tradition

here at Fiesta

for all the pilots

to light their burners.

We call it the balloon glow.

Wow!

This is so amazing!

Oh look at the heart, oh!

(fire hissing)

(romantic music)

(Jared): You warm enough?

(Brooklynn): All of these

amazing balloons!

(Jared): We'll get you some hot

chocolate or something.

(Brooklynn): So many different

shapes and colours.

I love it!

I feel like we're floating

here on the ground.

(hot air balloons hissing)

Well, I can really see

why you bring visitors here,

I love the ambiance.

We used to come here

on our date nights.

I know. It's been a while.

I know it has, and I'm sorry.

We have to reinstate

that tradition.

The food looks amazing.

My family personally likes

to make the chile rellenos

with the hatch chilies

from New Mexico,

and when they're homemade,

they're exquisite, like fire.

(Jared): Yeah. I mean,

not literally.

Don't worry, I ordered you

the mild chili, you're fine.

Well, thank you.

Save room for dessert

because Brad made biscochitos.

- Mmm!

- You did? Ahh, finally.

(laughs)

(Jane): And we can have them

back at the house with coffee.

Ah, yes!

Okay, so, what would you say

is the secret to

a successful marriage?

(laughs)

Uh, happy wife, happy life.

I mean, right?

I think that's partially true.

And I'm committed to making

this lady very happy.

I also retired recently

so we could spend

more time together.

He spent countless hours

at the studio,

and weekends in the air,

and he's never home.

And now, I'm home a lot.

(all laugh)

And I think maybe I, you know,

lost a little bit of my purpose.

I just, I didn't want

that to affect our marriage.

- I just want you to be happy.

- And I want you to be happy.

Maybe that should be

the new phrase,

"A happy person,

happy marriage."

Yeah, rolls off the tongue.

(laughter)

You have to be happy

and fulfilled in yourself

before you can be happy

in a relationship.

That's true.

Son, I was thinking of maybe

piloting some balloon rides

a couple of days a week if,

you know, you'll let me.

I don't know!

(laughter)

Of course, I would love it.

It'd be so good to have

you back up with me.

Oh, um. And gratitude, right?

Another ingredient.

We have to be

thankful for what we have.

And I am thankful for

the most beautiful,

intelligent, giving,

loving wife.

And I'm going to do everything I

can to make you happy, darling.

I can't believe we

only have two days left.

I don't want it to end.

Yeah, me neither.

You know, I was thinking.

I can check on

flights to Seattle,

would that be alright with you?

Yeah, I'd like that.

(Brad): Okay, everyone,

biscochitos will be ready

in a few minutes!

Do you mind if I ask

you some questions

about being a female

balloon pilot?

Not at all,

although I don't know how good

of a story that would be now.

When I started piloting,

there weren't many females,

but that's changed.

Oh, I see. Hmm.

So um, you're from Seattle?

Not originally, but I've lived

there the last five years.

You like it?

It's cloudy.

(laughter)

The weather here is perfect.

New Mexico has got its perks,

including a handsome,

nice, pilot

who is quite fond of you.

(clears throat)

Well.

A mother always can tell.

Was Jared hurt in his past?

Because he never talks about

his past relationships.

You'll have to ask him that.

Fair enough. Back to you.

How did you know

Brad was the one?

He pushed me out

of my comfort zone,

and also supported me.

He made me feel safe.

Mmm.

When I met Brad,

I was studying accounting.

Not my passion,

that's what my parents wanted.

I always loved children

and I wanted to work with them,

and Brad's the one that

told me to follow my heart,

and do what I was

passionate about,

so I became a teacher.

Thank you so much

for having me over

and just making

me feel so at home.

Mi casa es su casa.

You remind me

so much of my mom.

Aww, and you're like

the daughter I never had.

(laughter)

Thank you.

Come on, Elise.

Brooklynn told me y'all

like a lesson.

So, feet are about

shoulder width apart,

and your hands are in front

of you just like that.

That's the ready stance,

or junbi, okay?

So from here, first move,

left foot steps out,

with a high block.

(grunts)

Like this. Good.

Good, perfect.

This is over your eyes

a little bit more.

Basically, this is to

prevent somebody

from hitting you

with a baseball bat.

So right here, like this.

That's perfect like that.

Okay, number two.

From this position,

it's just a reverse punch.

This arm goes down,

and this hand,

the right hand comes

straight out, about face level.

Ready? One, two. Good.

Okay, try it again. Ready, one!

Two! Good. Junbi.

Now sometimes when we feel weak,

you do that move.

(grunts)

You feel more powerful.

And, you know, when we're

feeling more confident,

sometimes we can trick

our mind into the same thing.

- Okay, shall we try it again?

- Yeah!

Junbi. (Shouting in Japanese)

Very good.

(romantic music)

That was so much fun.

You know, your family

is just amazing.

I, I loved your dad's story

about personal fulfilment,

I mean it just inspired me.

Yeah. Oh, my dad.

(Brooklynn chuckling)

Say, listen. Do you remember,

you asked me,

you asked me if I

was afraid of anything.

Yeah.

- (sighs)

- Well, it turns out,

(clears throat)

I am.

What?

I'm afraid of um...

(cellphone ringing)

You can answer that if you want.

No, it's okay. It's my boss,

I don't have any updates

for her.

Man, she really checks in

on you a lot!

She does, it drives me crazy.

You know, I'm so sorry.

Please continue.

Do you remember

Amber and Turner

from the first day

of the fiesta?

They walked right by me without

saying hello.

Yeah.

Yeah, okay, so Turner's

my best friend.

We started a business together,

we took people up

for balloon rides.

And Amber,

well she was my girlfriend.

Huh.

I even proposed to her

in a hot air balloon.

What? Look at you,

you are a romantic.

And then out of the blue,

one day,

she just leaves me for Turner.

Oh my goodness.

She told me she was not

in love with me anymore.

What?

But she was definitely

in love with Turner.

So you lost your best friend

and your fianc?

And my business, all at once.

I felt so betrayed and like,

blindsided all at once,

and I think I shut down.

I'm so sorry.

But that was so long ago.

I mean, haven't you had a

serious relationship since then?

(chuckles)

- Look, it's okay.

- Yeah.

You don't have to talk about

it, I completely get it.

It's kind of funny,

because here I'm not afraid to

open up my heart,

but I'm afraid of

literally everything else!

(laughter)

You know, flying, heights.

Uh...

I'm afraid of taking risks.

When you go up in a hot air

balloon,

you don't know if you're

going to land safely or not.

What I am afraid of

is being on my deathbed

and having regrets.

But won't you regret

not opening yourself up

to love again?

(gentle music)

Oh, I don't know what to do.

Mary is demanding that

I show her something,

and I haven't because

I don't have anything,

because I don't want to tell

the story she wants me to tell.

Elise, I'm starting to develop

feelings for Jared.

And I can't explain it,

but when I'm with him,

I just feel so safe inside.

And his passion, it just makes

me want to follow my passion.

Oh, and I love his mom and dad,

they feel like

the family I never had.

Maybe you should

tell him how you feel.

Unh. You don't think

it's too soon?

No, maybe things

are meant to be simple

and just fall into our laps.

But I'm running out of time.

Time goes by so fast,

and I just so tired

of living my life in fear.

You know what?

Jared is right.

Fear is all in my head,

and I am in control

of my thoughts.

What are you saying?

I'm saying that if we get

a green flag tomorrow,

I'm going up in a balloon.

(soft music)

Okay, are you all sure

this is safe?

- Safer than the ride over.

- That's for sure!

Jared almost swerved

off the road

when Brooklyn said she wanted

to go up in a balloon.

And uh, what are

the wind conditions?

Favourable.

Okay, you said favourable,

that's not ideal!

Jared is a great pilot,

he'll take great care of you.

You can do this!

Mmm! Okay.

Yeah, okay.

You're right, you're right.

You're all right, I can do this.

I can do this!

- I can't do this!

- Sure you can!

And I'll film it.

And we'll be right there,

wherever you land.

And you will feel

exhilarated afterwards.

Sometimes we just need

somebody to help

push us outside

of our comfort zone.

Like taekwondo, remember?

(laughter)

(grunts)

(Brad): Yes!

Okay. I'll take

good care of you.

Just breathe.

(whimpering)

(burner hissing)

Okay.

Alright, just breathe.

(shouts)

Ready?

I'm as ready as I'll ever be!

(burner hissing)

(Jared): Okay, Brooklynn,

just breath.

You got this. Look at all

the other balloons just like us.

Remember just breath.

(Brooklynn): This is amazing!

(sigh of relief)

I thought I would have this

sensation of falling,

but I, I don't.

Is that the Rio Grande?

Yup.

Oh, uh wow.

It's like we're moving

but we're not.

- Yup.

- And it's so quiet up here.

And there's no wind,

why is there no wind?

(Jared): Because we're in

the wind.

Wow. That sound.

Are those dogs barking?

(Jared): Yup.

It always amazes me.

Even at 1,500 feet,

we can still hear 'em.

Please don't remind me

how high up we are.

(burner hissing)

(Jared): Hey, we're just

floating. Come.

I'm so proud of you.

You did it!

You conquered your biggest fear.

You're so passionate

about what you do,

it's just so inspiring.

It's contagious, and you're

so good at what you do

that you just make me feel

like I can do anything.

Thank you!

I'm so sorry.

Oh my God, it's gotta be

the altitude, the anxiety...

(soft music)

Who's flying this thing?

Oh, nobody's flying it.

I mean, we can only go up

and down, we can't control it.

Please don't tell me

that again.

Yeah. We're at the mercy

of the wind.

(orchestral music)

It wasn't as terrifying

as I thought it would be.

Yeah, we often make things

out to be scarier in our minds

than they really are, but you

do need to prepare yourself

for the landing,

sometimes it can be

a little rough.

What, what,

what does that mean?

Well,

sometimes it's a little bumpy.

And sometimes, the basket tips.

What, why are you

telling me this now?

And why am I yelling?

This is so embarrassing!

It's a natural reaction,

it happens all the time.

Okay, here's what I need you

to do,

put your hand right here

on the rail.

Take a deep breath.

Get low if I say,

"brace yourself," you ready?

Okay, okay.

Breathe. Breathe.

(exhales)

(burner hissing)

Okay, brace yourself.

(both shouting)

(exhales)

Are you okay?

I am.

(exhales)

(laughter)

(cheering)

(Brooklynn squealing)

Oh, that was so exhilarating,

I feel so alive!

If I can conquer this,

I can conquer anything.

- Wow, there you go.

- Wow!

- Cheers everybody, bring it in.

- Cheers!

Whoo-hoo!

Okay, so I gotta know.

What is with the champagne toast

after the balloon ride?

Take it away, Dad.

You tell this better.

Alright. Well, it all started

back in the 18th century

in France, right?

Where not a lot of people

had ever seen a hot air balloon.

And the farmers

were deathly afraid

of these fire-breathing,

dragon-like things,

and they used to chase

after them with pitchforks!

Wow.

So at some point,

a bottle of champagne

was introduced,

given as a peace offering

for disturbing the land

and the animals.

And thus, a tradition was born.

And life was meant

to be celebrated.

Cheers to that!

Um, by the way,

about the kiss,

I'm sorry.

I'm not.

You conquered one of your fears

and, I guess I'm trying

to conquer one of mine.

(Brooklynn chuckles)

Cheers.

I'm planning on

visiting Elise in Seattle.

Well, that was fast.

Well, it's not every day

you meet someone

who brightens your world,

you know?

And, when you know, you know.

(soft music)

If you'll excuse me,

I have something

I have to take care of.

I knew you really liked her!

- Napkin?

- Oh, thank you.

You're adding green chili?

Yeah, it's starting

to grow on me.

You know, I decided I'm

gonna start living life

and spice things up a little.

Good one!

(Brooklynn chuckling)

There you go.

Thank you.

(Brooklynn): Oh,

that's New Mexico!

Wow, they're amazing.

(Jared): Yeah, the drone

show's amazing,

all the shapes and colours.

They're incredible.

I can't believe it's

the last night of the fiesta,

tomorrow's our last day.

Yeah, time flies

when you're having fun.

(crowd cheering)

(exhales)

Uh, so hey. I uh,

I got you something.

- What?

- Yeah, here.

Thank you.

- Open it, open it.

- Okay.

(gasp)

Oh. You remembered.

Yeah. I figured, since

it reminded you of the sky,

that it might be a

nice way of remembering

that you conquered your fear.

And that if you're ever

feeling afraid,

then that this might remind you

just how strong you really are.

I love that.

Here, let me help you.

It's, um...

- It's beautiful.

- Beautiful.

(gentle music)

(Elise): Hey!

Oh Brooklyn, we're gonna...

Oh sh**t, are we interrupting?

Yes!

Sorry!

I know getting me up

in the balloon again

was all part of your plan.

(laughter)

I am just glad that you

are back to your old self.

I'm not my old self,

something else.

Maybe something better.

I'm so getting

fired over this,

but I'm not doing the story

at the expense of Jared.

What do you want to do?

You know what?

If you could gather everything

from the fiesta and...

(cellphone ringing)

(sighs)

(phone clicks off)

We'll talk about this later.

Are you going to tell Mary?

Right now, I am gonna

go into the backyard

and meet Jared by the fire pit.

Oh la la! Sounds romantic.

(Brooklynn inhales)

- We kissed!

- Ooh, you did?

- Yes!

- How was it?

It felt like I was floating,

but grounded at the same time.

Elise, I really like him!

Aww, are you gonna tell him?

Mmm, he gave me this necklace.

(gasp)

You got the jaded

pilot to open up!

(laughter)

(both sigh)

(cellphone ringing)

Seriously.

Does she ever not work?

I think she

usually lives there.

You're not kidding! Ugh!

(fire crackling)

(cellphone ringing)

Ugh! Hello?

Why aren't you

answering my calls?

If I didn't know any better,

I would think you were

avoiding because...

Listen, Mary. I get it.

I know you love the irony

of this cynical guy

trying to build a business

out of love and romance.

You think this gimmick is only

gonna bring in higher ratings.

(door closes)

But I won't do that.

Listen, Mary, I've gotta go.

Hey.

I don't know how much

you heard in there.

(stammers)

I heard enough.

I didn't realize

I was being set up.

What?

Was I really

just a story to you?

What, no!

No, no, not at all.

(Brooklynn stammers)

No, no, no, no, please.

Please let me explain!

(sighs)

You have to try harder.

Elise, it doesn't

matter anyway.

We're going back to

Seattle tomorrow.

There's no point,

long-distance

relationships never work.

Everything is so messed up.

I've most likely

lost my job, and now Jared.

I just wish that

I could tell the story

about what I've learned here.

About life, love,

ballooning.

From Jared, his mom, his dad.

My time here...

wait a minute.

I have an idea.

Ohh!

Nice. This is good!

Really good.

Oh, talk about getting

down to the wire, right?

Elise, I just.

I just I want you to know

you are so much more

than just a co-worker to me.

You are a great, great friend.

I feel the same way about you.

- Thank you for everything.

- Of course.

You're not coming

to the airport with us?

Nope. I've been down this road

before, I'm not doing it again.

What do you mean?

I overheard Brooklyn talking

to her boss about some story

she's doing on a jaded pilot.

She was just using

me for a story.

- Oh, why would she do that?

- It's her job!

It's her job, I get it.

But it could cost me

my livelihood.

(sad music)

(sighs)

You sure you're

not coming with us?

Yeah.

I'm gonna check on flights to

Seattle and then maybe we can...

Great.

I thought you'd

be more excited.

Thanks for being a great host.

Of course.

Are you sure you're

not gonna come with us?

- Not a chance.

- I'm ready.

Please, just let me explain.

Have a safe flight.

(sad music)

(distant cars honking)

Promise me that you will

show Jared the segment.

I'll do my best.

That's all I can ask for.

Okay, and red or green

chili with that?

Christmas, please.

(sighs)

I wish I could be here to see

the luminarias at Christmas.

Have you heard from

the New Mexico station?

I sent them the segment,

but they've probably already

hired somebody else by now.

(cellphone message)

Look,

your segment's gone viral!

What? No way!

(cellphone ringing)

It's Mary.

She's probably calling

to congratulate you!

Hi Mary?

Brooklyn, I'm calling to say

that what you did was

completely unprofessional.

You're supposed to

report on the story,

not be the story.

But it went viral!

I know, and that's why

I'm giving you one more chance.

Mary, thank you.

For showing me that I don't

want to work for you anymore.

I want to be somewhere that

my creativity is appreciated.

Because life is not just

about money and security.

It's about passion,

and doing what you love.

I quit.

And one more thing,

you know what?

You might want to think about

a better work-life balance.

You just quit your job!

I did!

(sighs)

And I'm at peace with it.

I actually feel lighter.

I mean, if I can conquer

my fear of heights

by getting in that

hot air balloon,

then I can take

that leap of faith

and follow my passion.

(cellphone ringing)

Oh, if that's Mary,

I don't want to talk to her.

It's a New Mexico area code.

What? Hello?

Yes, this is Brooklyn.

You loved my segment

on the hot air balloons?

Thank you so much.

Would I have creative input

on more stories like that?

Okay, alright, I will be

looking for your email,

thank you so much!

Oh, my gosh!

I just got offered the job

right here in New Mexico!

They were blown away

by my story!

You took a risk,

and it paid off.

Yeah.

You know what? There's one

more risk I need to take.

- Come on.

- Oh, yes.

I gotta go,

I'll talk to you later.

Brooklyn and Elise made me

promise to show you this.

Yeah, yeah,

that's not gonna happen, buddy.

Well, we just got six

reservations.

What?

And another one.

And another one! Look at this.

My name's Brooklyn.

And I'm a reporter who

was sent to Albuquerque

to cover the International

Balloon Fiesta.

I was looking for

the perfect story to tell,

but little did I know that

I would become the story.

But as I shadowed a passionate

hot air balloon pilot

named Jared Troy

of Love In The Air,

for five days, I learned

a lot about life and love.

Many people like myself

are surprised to learn

that you can't steer a balloon.

You're completely at

the mercy of the wind,

so you have to learn

to go with the flow.

And landing isn't always smoot.

Sometimes it's bumpy,

and all you can do is hold on

tight and drop to your knees.

And life is like flying.

Sometimes you rise,

sometimes you sink,

but you always land.

And while danger is real,

fear is in your head,

and it's a choice.

You can choose to rise

above your fears.

Life and love

are so unpredictable.

And sometimes, love happens

when you least expect it.

And when it does,

it can take you to new heights.

But it can also

keep you grounded.

This is Brooklynn signing off

and telling you

to follow your passion,

wherever it may lead.

Ohh.

(grumbling)

(sighs)

Alright.

Where... Where are my keys?

They're right in your hand,

man!

- Do you want me to drive?

- No, no. You're too slow.

(Carlos laughs)

Let's go.

(uplifting music)

(distant cars honking)

Brooklyn!

What are you doing here?

What are you doing here?

Aren't you supposed to be

on a plane to Seattle?

Yes, but listen.

There's something I have

to tell you.

I'm so confused.

I know. I'm so sorry

I was distant, I just...

I got scared because we

live in two different cities.

But I love Seattle.

And I'm open to new adventures.

- With you.

- Really?

- Yeah!

- Oh!

(romantic music)

My boss wanted me

to tell a story

about a cynical pilot

who was trying to sell romantic

hot air balloon rides.

I mean, she loved

the irony of it,

and if you had heard

the rest of my phone call,

you would have heard me say

that I wouldn't do it.

I know, I know.

And I'm so sorry.

I don't know how you can

forgive me, I'm an idiot.

You triggered me into...

but I saw your piece.

It's really uplifting!

(laughter)

And we've had bookings non-stop,

one after the other.

Are you serious?

That's so amazing!

Congratulations!

Listen, I know you're

going to Seattle right now,

but I want to find a way

to make this work.

I'm not going.

You're... What?

I mean, I am,

but I'm coming right back then,

after I've packed,

because I quit my job.

I got offered the job

here in New Mexico.

I accepted it.

So does this mean...

(clears throat)

It means home is

where your joy is,

and I found a new home.

(soft music)

Aww Elise, I'm so happy

that you guys are having

a great time in Seattle.

But I do have to go,

Jared's mom and dad

are actually

renewing their vows!

Bye!

Alright, bye!

15 minutes

and we'll be good to go.

Sounds great!

(romantic music)

If your parents are

renewing their vows,

why aren't we all

in the same basket?

(Brad): Hey, look over here!

Hi!

(laughter)

Hi!

(gasps)

Brooklyn,

I used to be so

closed off to love

until I met you.

The way you freely

give your heart.

Your passion, your charm

and your vulnerability,

it all made me just fall

head over heels for you.

Somehow, you lift me up

and keep me grounded

at the same time.

I couldn't imagine going through

this incredible adventure

of life without you right

by my side as my co-pilot.

So...

(sighs)

Will you marry me?

Oh! Jared!

You have helped me

to conquer so many fears.

I mean, look at me now!

I'm in a balloon.

Alone I was afraid of heights.

With you,

I know I can do anything!

(romantic music)

- So is that a yes?

- Yes!

- Yes!

- Yes!

(Jane): She said yes.

(Brad): They did it.

You were right, baby.

I told you love

was in the air!

Everywhere you look around.

(alt rock music)

Love is in the air

Lifting off the ground

Brace yourself

Love's calling loud

If we survive

I'll give you my heart

When the world stands still