Amsterdam

He picked me up just before 5...

And when I say 5, I mean 5 in the morning. It was too early for conversation, but he made it any way, and I failed to retain anything that he said, or what anything I said for that matter. I only vaguely remember talking about Istanbul, Turkey - a place we had both visited, and a place I suspect that he is originally from.

It was too early to become BFFs with my taxi cab driver and so I kept my answers to his questions rather succinct. Besides, he wouldn't have time to take me out for breakfast like the taxi cab driver in Chicago did last time I visited the Windy City.

So I arrived at the Frankfurt International Airport, and after checking my suitcase, and going through security, I sat down with my journal and began to write:

And so my day begins w/a 4 AM alarm clock and a 4:45 AM taxi ride to the airport w/an overly talkative taxi cab driver who would have - perhaps - received an even larger tip if we could have enjoyed the 20 minute ride to the airport in silence rather than engaging in a false interactive dialogue. I call it false because I wasn't really "in" the conversation. Althought I did ask questions, I think I only did so - so that I wouldn't have to answer as many of his.

Wow, this sounds snotty, snooty, snobby - or some variation of the sorts. I promise I didn't send that vibe - at least I hope I didn't. But you have to understand - I am NOT a morning person.

It's like my brother and I when we were in high school - and perhaps even young... when we'd eat our morning bowl of cereal - aside from the crunching and chomping, we respected the silence in the air.

Finally, we were summoned to board the plane. And once I was settled in my seat, I continued to write.

And so I'm on the place - well, plane 1. I have to admit, this morning as I walked around the airport I felt this air of romance - but it's of a different kind. I suppose you could call it a romance of sorts - where it's the kind of romance that is found within adventure.

And I suppose that's what's I sesned this morning. Knowing that I would be stepping into the unknown, yet knowing that it would be absolutely beautiful. And today is different from my move to New York - because w/that move... the scare and fear overrided the excitement and anticipation. But w/today... I just know that it will be a day that I treasure well beyond today.

And maybe because it's...

"We apologive for the inconvenience." I paused in my writing to listen the announcement. "Due the foggy weather in Amsterdam, we will not be able to take off at this time. We anticipate that we will be delayed an hour. For those of you with connecting flights..."

And maybe because it's

It's not so romantic after all. Flight delay: 1 hour...