October--In Which I Take My Show on the Road by Sorchia DuBois

Welcome to October!!

Not only is this the month of Halloween, the Harvest Moon, falling leaves, apple cider, and Oktoberfest—October is my birth month and the month my first grand daughter is scheduled to make an appearance. It is also the month that will be remembered in the annals of history as marking the first time I left the good old U.S. of A. and journeyed across the pond.

Fair warning to all travelers in Reykjavik, Dublin, and Berlin in the next month! I’m not quite certain if I will help or harm the American image abroad. I’ll certainly try to be a good example but there will be beer.

So, we are a little off the beaten path of writing as a topic, but one of my favorite professors used to say that when the subject is writing, everything is relevant. Of course, all of these adventures will wind up in a book or story.

Anyone who wants to find me as I wander the airports, castles, streets, and pubs of Iceland, Ireland, Germany, and maybe Scotland need only watch for the most touristy of tourists. That person will certainly be me. I will be gawking and taking pictures. I’ll be sampling the local fare and generally making a nuisance of myself as I attempt to order in German. I’ll be using my best Scottish or Irish accent which will make native speakers’ ears bleed. I may even try to dance.

Now, let me say that I am not a seasoned traveler. It’s been at least three years since I even left the state—not because I didn’t want to, but there’s a thing called money which has been pretty scarce around here lately. This trip is being financed by a small square of plastic and will have to be dealt with when I get back.

At this point, the passport is in my possession. The bags have been measured to make certain I can get them on the plane.

• New underwear—check. 
• Laptop adapter—check. 
• Detailed directions for simple household tasks posted in obvious places for spouse and son—check. 
• Cash pinned to inside of bra—check-(If I lose the money, at least I will have had an interesting experience in the process.) 
• Duplicates of E-ticket and printed tickets on phone and in easily-accessible spot—check. 
• Cats fed, house semi-clean, bills mostly paid—check. 

Tips, tricks, travel secrets—all most welcome. Let me hear about your best and worst travel experiences, too.

Any special places in Berlin—which is where I will mostly be staying? Any suggestions for making the trip easier? Any ideas about how to calm my nerves? I’m not afraid of flying—not at all. Flying is great-- It’s the crashing and burning that worry me.

On November 2, I’ll be posting again from Berlin with pictures to show and stories to tell!