Getting Ready for Europe

     I am sitting in my room at the Country Inn & Suites in Washington, D.C.  I just finished a great breakfast and chose a book from their "Read It and Return" library program.  I love it--you borrow the book, read it, and then return it to a Country Inn in your own hometown, or any other city on your trip.
     I chose The Janissary Tree, by Jason Goodwin.  I've never read anything by this author, and it should be fun to discover a new writer.  The book is a mystery set in the Ottoman Empire in 1836, and the detective is a eunuch named Yashim.  Sounds promising.
     I've just rechecked my suitcases and decided which items will make the carry-on list.  I'm traveling with my husband Marty and daughter Lizzy, and it's always a challenge to pack as lightly as possible.  Cars in Europe are small, and they don't hold a lot of luggage.  Lizzy and I always complain that Marty overpacks.  (He does!)  But to be fair, he is the travel planner, and he always brings books, maps, the GPS, etc.
     We're flying into Paris and then driving to Holland.  Marty is an amazing driver--he has driven us through Paris, Rome, London, New York City, and Amsterdam, among other cities.  He is fearless and never falls asleep at the wheel.  He has a good sense of direction, as well, which makes him a great traveling companion.  I'm great at reading a map, and I can tell which direction we're going by stars & sun, so I'm a great copilot/navigator.
     I'm always a little afraid of flying, especially on an overseas flight.  Once I'm up in the air, I'm okay--I guess because I'm at the point of no return.  But now, a few hours before flight time, is the time to think.  I'm a Christian, and I believe I will go to Heaven when I die.  But anytime I think about death, I feel humbled about how little I've accomplished with my life.  Life goes by so quickly.  To quote Virgil: "...time flees irretrievably, while we wander around, prisoners of our love of detail."  I hope that, in the time left to me, I can keep my eye on the big picture.