The Cruise--Details
I didn't include more details in the prior "The Cruise" post for two reasons. 1) I didn't think anyone would be interested; and 2) This trip didn't include much of the normal topics: good beer, good coffee or John-style travel. But there are details, which may be useful to some people contemplating how such a trip is put together. On the first day of the trip, we drove three hours to pick up my mother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. At 85, she isn't comfortable driving for long distances and hadn't flown for many years. We then drove 3 1/2 more hours to Chicago, where we checked into the Wyndham, where you can get a room that includes the cost of parking for up to 12 days. We were up early on the hotel shuttle to O'Hare, where we then boarded the a non-stop American Airlines flight to New Orleans. Here, we checked into a Hampton Inn near the port. My mother was pretty tired, so Julia and I went out for a Cajun dinner and live music. Rememberi...
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Too selfish to have children and knowing I'd never make a good Dad (too German, you know), the memories of watching my daughter -- who came with my first marriage -- grow up, continue to prompt wonder about how she has fared.
You, I predict, will experience an enviable measure of satisfaction like no other. And the unrealized travels will be an irrelevant episode supplanted by an expanded awareness of the power of love. You're a lucky man; but I know, it's sometimes hard to appreciate.