“When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have been, and there you will always long to return.” -Author unknown

This afternoon we begin our long-awaited travels. This trip is a combination of two postponed trips a year or so apart with a “bridge” trip in the middle. The total number of days is twenty-six with travel to Amsterdam later today and the return from Venice after a Viking Ocean cruise to Greece in mid-May. With the state of the world over the last two-plus years, the trip never seemed like it was actually going to happen, oh you know – COVID-19 – Pandemic was happening!

To be honest, I do not like to travel, hate to fly, and my anxiety levels are off of the charts when I am disconnected from my family. As they say sarcastically, “Other than that Mrs. Lincoln, how was the play?”

Nonetheless I have my spreadsheets in hand, completed my checklists, overpacked significantly and am checking flight status every five minutes.

We made both flights, we hardly slept. I remember why traveling is so exhuasting. None the less – we made it to Amsterdam and flew over some tulip fields in full bloom.

Our luggage made it as did we. We connected with our cab and made it to our hotel and settled down for a brief, two hour much needed nap. We have a special dinner tonight and I think it is Tuesday but don’t put money on that.

“my eyes will remember

how to love the world

under changing skies.

when the light changes,

so does the view.“

~ Lindsay O’Connell

“Twenty years from now

You’ll be more disappointed

By the things you didn’t do

Than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines.

Sail away from the harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore.

Dream.

Discover.“

– H. Jackson Brown, from P.S. I Love You