PRELUDE

I'm sitting in the Charlotte, N.C. airport waiting for my flight to Philadelphia; then on to Rome. (By-the-way, if you haven't been to the new Indianapolis Airport, it's quite a building. It has the feel of a large airplane hanger.)

I believe that all of the necessary preparations have been made for my trip; exchanged U.S. dollars for European Euros, cleared foreign travel use with my credit card company, bought a plug adapter so that I may use my laptop in Italy and packed the security belts that George Mayo loaned me since pickpockets are quite prevalent in Rome. I've spoken to two of the people who are a part of this and we've made arrangement to meet at the airport in Philly for our flight to Rome.

One of my traveling companions called a couple of nights ago and we found our hotel on Google Maps and took a "virtual tour" through parts of Rome near the hotel. The images portray a city quite different from any other I've been in. Certainly, the buildings are quite old and I'm curious to find out how old the hotel is.

We are just a couple of blocks from St. Peter's Basilica and not far from Trevi fountain (I'm old enough to remember the song and movie, "Three Coins in the Fountain," and hope to see this Roman landmark.) We have tickets for the Vatican for Thursday. Saturday is "Liberation Day," whatever that is, and all the museums offer free entry. The crowds shoud be pretty large so we're thinking of going to the Amalfi coast.

In spite of my excitment, it was a difficult task, however, saying good-bye to Sabre and Scottie. I'm reminded, as I am whenever I'm away from home for more than a day, how much the people we love and who love us are truly the most important gifts that God has given us on this earth. Even now, my thoughts turn towards my family and what they are probably doing at just this moment; Scottie sitting at her desk at her office and Sabre sitting at her desk at her school. Indeed, love is the strongest force in this reality called "life" that God has created for us.

I know that a week is a relatively short period of time and the busyness of the days ahead will keep me occupied, but yet...

Blessings and prayers,

Don