Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Jani ho-like a herd of turtles

Blog #1
Nov. 27, 2007

Well, It's just a few days before I depart for Asia... My to-do list seems infinite, and my travel anxiety (that you aren't suppose to know about) is at a relatively healthy, yet elevated hum; rather than the usually revved up, dread inducing levels of the past. That's a really good thing and I take note with a confident inner smile, kind of like that rare occasion in mid life when you like what you see in the mirror... At any rate, it's looking like the foo dogs of departure are already barring their teeth and will surely be nipping at my heels as I leave the ground for the wild blue yonder. The good news is that Austin is just about as big as my thumbnail at 30,000 feet.

Crossing the big water is always a welcome but scary rite of passage for me. Something about my body hurtling through space, then dropping down from the sky and skidding to a halt just hours later on the other side of the planet... It's always been difficult for me to wrap my brain around but it's something of comfort to see that no matter where you go, tarmac always looks the same.

There's a particular point of this Asian passage that I've noticed over years of traveling here and that is the avocado green linoleum tile floor at the customs area of the Bangkok airport. It's become familiar to me like a pleasant river crossing in a reoccurring dream, and also the dinner bell for pad thai and coffee just upstairs at my favorite funky little cafe.

But the economy has picked up over there and so I'll be arriving at a spanking new airport.. So the best I can hope for is the same color scheme and my usual lunch.

Lots more to come I suppose...  I better get with the program as the list is beckoning!

And considering my anxiety, all I have to say is: "If I don't see you in the future, I'll see you in the pasture."