Leaving on a Jet Plane

The calendar was way too crowded for me to even realize that I would be arriving in Florence on Friday the 13th. I didn't realize that until yesterday, I believe. Looking back at it that way, though, it kind of makes sense of the fact that I had an intense migraine on both of the two days before I left. And our air conditioner went kaput the same day the first migraine began.

And in the week before leaving, work was intense. I was packing in extra sessions, meeting with dogsitters who were new and needed "orientating," doing last-minute shopping, etc. Oh, and trying to find a new (used) car, because my registration would expire three days after my return, and my car has been on probation all this year due to some minor leaks that were detected at the last inspection.

For weeks people had been saying, when hearing about the trip, "Oh, aren't you exicted?" And I could not honestly say that I was. It just felt like a huge list of tasks that had to be taken care of because soon I would be leaving. I was encouraged by hearing a friend say, "I never feel like I'm going on a vacation  until I'm actually sitting in the plane and there's no way I can do anything else, even if I've forgotten something."

That's how it was. I wound up doing all my packing the same day I left and sending a note apologizing to our dogsitters for the house not being clean.

But I made it! And once I was on the plane, yes, I did feel excited. Mostly I felt relieved, actually. Relieved to leave it all behind for a while.

So, I left after my sweet husband drove me to the airport. (He had taken two days mostly off work to be at home and help the a.c. fellow try to fix our system, only to conclude that we'd have to buy a whole new unit.)

Flew from Memphis to Newark.

In the Newark airport I bought a book of "Good Poems for Hard Times," edited by Garrison Keillor. I've really enjoyed it. I also bought some ice cream. Still fearful of migraines, and my head had started hurting. The ice cream must have done the trick, though. No migraine for at least a week.

It was getting to be dusk by the time we left Newark.

And although this didn't turn out well at all, it was neat to see the NYC skyline as we were taking off.

And the sun went down, as we think of it. I almost never sleep in planes, and this time was no exception. But I had a nice person to sit next to, good poems to read, and the night passed gently.

And in the morning....not quite the NYC skyline! Something much more impressive! I love flying over the Alps. They are simply amazing. Beautiful and, well, they command respect. You wouldn't want to get lost around there.

So, flying over the Alps means Milano is not far away. And that work and needing a new car and broken air conditioners and a messy house are far, far, far away.

At this point I really felt like the vacation had begun. And I was also really tired! As I am right now, so that'll be it for tonight. Buona notte!