Getting Ready to Fly

From the time I started making good money, in the early 90s, Wifey and I traveled quite a bit. Our first major trip was without the Ds, who stayed behind with my in laws. Wifey and I flew to Istanbul and cruised the Med -- ending up in Venice. Afterwards, as the Ds got older, it seems each few years we'd take a major trip -- Baltic Sea, Alaska, another Med Cruise. The last big family trip was the day after D1 graduated from high school -- we got on an AA jet (getting to meet Dave Barry and his wife and family) and going to England, where D1 transferred to the Midlands to stay with friends, and D2 and Wifey and I toured Scotland and Ireland. Alas, afterwards, Wifey developed a bad back, and the big trips ceased. We did take a few cruises, and visit North Carolina, NYC, and Vermont, but the overseas trips were too much for Wifey. We had even planned a dream trip for our 25th wedding anniversary, in 2012, but I had to cancel, and get LOTS of AA credit from the Business Class tickets to Paris I turned in. I took the Ds to Europe the summer of '08, and we cruised the Danube. But, Wifey was left behind. Until now! Her back has improved, and she is willing to give it a try. We're leaving for Israel and Switzerland this Sunday. I purposely put off thinking too much about the trip, as I was skeptical Wifey would actually get on the plane, but now, even with a car wreck several weeks ago that left her with a wrist splint, she seems ready to fly. I did my trip prep -- which consisted of visiting the Gap and buying all the xtra large boxer briefs in stock (8). With that, I'll throw in a few pairs of pants, some shirts, a pair of sneaks, and the meds required by a 53 year old guy, and I'll be ready. We fly on Swiss to Zurich, and then on to Tel Aviv. Wifey needs to be able to stretch out, so I went for Business Class. To pay for the tickets, I employed the band aid removal method. The AMEX bill came in January, I paid the high balance the first day, and now treat it, psychologically, like the tickets are free. Ha -- the psychological games we play with finances... We have no real itinerary, much to the shock of my orthodox rabbi friend, who thinks there are SO many Jewish things to do in Israel, we need to plan. Nah . I DO want to visit the Wailing Wall, and of course Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial, but other than that, I look forward to simply hanging out, and getting a feel for the place. Our tour guide in Jerusalem and Haifa is my BFF Norman's son Michael, who is getting a grad degree in Israel. He is an awesome young man, and feel great having him show us the sights, rather than some guy we don't know (although years ago, in Italy, Wifey found an AWESOME guide, too). After Israel, Switzerland beckons, especially for D1. She has nannied for a neighbor for years, a lady who is very involved in Art Basel, and hearing about the country has made D1 want to visit. In Basel we have another guide, a young gallery owner. When D1 asked her local friend about payment, she laughed -- apparently the Swiss young lady has a net worth several times ours. So we bought her some local jewelry in advance, to say thank you. In Switzerland we'll take trains to Lucerne, and get a real flavor for the place. And the evenings should fall to the high 40s, so we can enjoy some warm drinks, I figure. So tomorrow I'll pack, and make the final preparations. D1's friend Morgan is house and dog sitting -- Wifey has given her an instruction list that rivals anything handed to the Shuttle astronauts. And then we're off -- to celebrate Wifey and I getting BOTH the Ds Masters degrees, and more importantly, seeing them turn into amazing young women. No -- make that a (pause) mazing. I was last in Israel as an 8 year old boy -- summer of '69. I remember it clearly -- especially Jerusalem, and the Dead Sea, and Eilat. Mostly, though, as an astronaut wannabee, like just about all American boys of a certain time, I remember watching men walk on the moon from a TV set in Tel Aviv -- with a crowd of Israelis all loudly cheering this tremendous American accomplishment. I contrasted that memory with the videos of Arabs cheering the destruction of the World Trade Center 32 years later, to cement in my mind the US/Israel bond. I look forward to going back -- this time with my own family.