Preparations

I have made my reservation on the Queen Mary II for May 17, 2011, so it's all becoming real now. Unfortunately, Minnie is 10th on the kennel wait list. Some guy took up six of the 12 available spaces -- for his cats. I'm trying to understand why someone would take six cats on a trans-Atlantic cruise, but I'm having a difficult time with that. The reservations people assured me that the wait list normally shrinks towards the time of the cruise, but I'm going to be pretty stressed out until I know she can go. I'll have to figure out a contingency plan, but I will really be sad if I'm not able to take her.

At this point, I'm traveling alone. Other than the additional expense, I don't really mind. I know I'll have a great time, and will make friends once I get on board. But I'm a bit disappointed that the friend who I thought was going with me decided to go somewhere else instead.

Now I can enjoy fantasizing about my trip by visiting the Cunard website and planning my week. It's going to be very strange to be literally adrift, with no responsibilities, no schedule, no demands upon my time. I think I'm going to enjoy it immensely, and am looking forward most of all to seeing the night sky from the mid-Atlantic.

Then, stress will begin again when I arrive in London. But I feel optimistic about it, knowing that I'm going back where I belong and that so many friends are waiting for me to return. No more Texas summers, no possibility of boredom, and a world of possibilities. I can hardly wait to get back there, and just walk and walk (hopefully with Minnie by my side), exploring my new neighborhood and reconnecting with the soul of the city.