The Adventure Begins!

Well, first step of the journey has been accomplished! I am safely in Virginia, at a hotel near Dulles Airport. There is always so much to learn, I thought I was going to be in D.C. but I'm not. I'm about an hour away from all of the famous landmarks so I am not sure that I will be visitng the Smithsonian tomorrow as I had hoped. I don't like to stray too far from the airport when I am getting a plane out, just in case...and so I'll stick close to here, visit a small town nearby in the morning and be at the airport in plenty of time to get my plane for Rome.

Flying here was a new experience. I was on a new United plane, one in which the seats in business class lie almost flat and you have your own 17 in. monitor to watch anything you want. On other United planes they run movies all starting at the same time so you have to wait until they are all over before any start again and there is no starting and stopping them. I was told that they have an ipod docking station too, but I didn't find that. It's always interesting to see who you end up sitting next to on the flights. When I sat down today there was an empty cup between our seats and it was filled with paper from cold meds and alieve! I wasn't too thrilled to be next to someone who was so sick, but he had no desire to chat so at least he wasn't looking at me. Hope I don't catch his cough anytime soon. Usually I sit next to friendly people so this was the exception to that, but it was fine. I was happy to be in my nice cushy seat, leaning back watching "Swing Vote". I think it will be a very nice way to head across the ocean to Rome in this comfort.

Arriving at the airport was also an interesting experience. There were two ladies near me, not together, on the shuttle in the airport, and I asked how exciting D.C. had been the last few days. They both started in and I was sorry I ever said a thing. Both ladies were Republican (I'm guessing) and couldn't say enough bad about Obama, criticisms I never would have even thought of! There was a pilot standing near us and we just smiled at each other, boy did I unknowingly open a can of worms! So no more idle chit chat about that here! I rode to the hotel with a nice pilot in the shuttle and that was a pleasant ride, short though. I've decided not to leave tonight to explore anything, I've been so sick that staying in the room sounds just right for tonight. I may venture out to the nearby town tomorrow morning if I am feeling okay, but rest is okay so that I can save my strength for the Italian adventure that awaits!

César will arrive in Rome before I leave here so I will be sure that my escort, protector, European tour guide is waiting to meet me when I arrive. The weather here is beautiful so there should be no delays and Sunday morning, which will be Saturday night here, I will be in beautiful Roma!