The Launch

About to get on the plane for my trip to Prague. I almost referred to it as an “epic” trip, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on this little ol’ trip. It’s just a few days away to a place I’ve never been before. And yet…

I can’t help feeling this is the beginning of something amazing. It may be nothing more than a little stress relief, a little adventure, a little boosting of the confidence in planning and making this trip completely by my lonesome. If all goes well, I will be a champion. If it doesn’t… well, as long as it doesn’t land me in jail or stranded in Moscow (an entirely plausible scenario given my original plans), then it’s a lesson learned. But I guess I’ve been feeling a little lost, really for the past few years, and I can’t help hoping this trip will help me get my mojo back. Especially when it comes to my writing. I want to be inspired, elevated, transported. I want to meet some awesome people and find a new way to look at things. I want to come back feeling like a refreshed human.

All my life, I felt like I should be traveling the world. I can’t remember a time when I didn’t want to. My Uncle Zeb used to read his travel books to me as a kid — I still remember them, all these small blue-bound stories, one per country. They were places he never visited, either, but as a child I always assumed he had. In my head he was cosmopolitan and amazing. When I started veering toward journalism as a career, the goal was being a war correspondent. I even wrote my college honors thesis on women journalists in that field. My very first trip out of the country, to England right before 9/11, had me vowing to return to Europe every year thereafter. Of course, terrorists ruined that, and finances, but eventually I made it back to Ireland — to date, the most amazing vacation I’ve ever had. Whiskey tasting, horeseback riding on the beach, ringforts, chocolate in the Skeeligs, drumming… Then for a few years all my money and attention went to Canada, for a big mistake I won’t linger on. There were a couple of sidetrips to Mexico, and unrelated places in Canada, but now here I am, finally delving right back in. And as much as there are nerves — and there are, this is a complete unknown and lots of variables — I am far, far more excited.

So far, the trip has been eye-opening. I totally bonded with the kind long-term parking guy at JFK, named Gee, who helped save a stray kitten who was running into traffic. He said I was gorgeous (so, blind) and said talking to me made his day. He was lovely. Now I’m making my debut in the fancy airport lounge my AmEx let me get into, where I’m enjoying my second beer (I AM going to Prague, after all!) and some free snacks before heading into my next adventure.

So, for now… nashledanou!