June 18 

Just leaving Chicago O’Hare airport. The skies here are brown. You can't tell from the ground but when you get up... we get free drinks on international flights - On our flight to Chicago we got a great lunch! Chicken & Pasta with salad & fruit. This trip we get a full course dinner & breakfast.

So far I like plane travel. The acceleration when taking off is amazing. I'm feeling ill from writing this.

6:40

Flying gives one a new perspective on earth. some streams from above snake around.

Obviously, the water has never heard that the shortest distance between two points is a straight line. I think we are over Newfoundland or Nova Scotia. Here, the snakes are layered, old beds remain. Spaghetti.

June 19

10:12 AM

Sitting in Frankfurt Airport, drinking damn fine coffee! And strong, let me tell you about strong.

The 11ho flight was bearable. No sleep though - my body is messed up because I'm sweating profusely. The coffee cost around 18 marks - $10+ for 3 mini pots. Good thing I get a free place to stay tonight. I hear a lot of English in the airport - still hard to believe. For a few moments, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Bring on the challenge.

I am feeling good about solo - I like being alone. Of course, Dave & Pam are close by now. Maybe I'll sing a different tune when I split.

Pan's cousin is coming to get her. He said in broken English to meet at the restaurant - the problem is there are about 4.

Dinner on the plane was great! Filet mignon w/ mushroom sauce, broc, potato, prawns, flan. And I had about 3 screwdrivers. I should have had 3 more so I could have passed out & slept.