I never sleep the night before I travel. Even for a short vacation, I find there is so much to do to prepare - preparation for the trip and preparation to leave things in order in both the parish and in my life. This sabbatical experience of course meant making preparations for things 4, 5, and 6 months in advance. Thanks to Father Rodney and the parish staff, all things parochial are in good hands. So I basically pulled an all-nighter last night to get last minute personal things in order.
Fast forward to the waiting area at gate 5 at T.F. Greene. The place was empty today. I have never seen it with so few people. I wasn't sitting 10 minutes when I entered a "profound state of meditation". I was returned to reality by hearing my name being called repeatedly. In any other situation, I would think it was a beatific vision. But it was the airline staff. So I headed to the desk not realizing that all the passengers had boarded. I actually said to the nice lady, "Am I the only one?". "No sir", she said, "you are the last one."
So begins the adventure of a lifetime.
