26 hours to go

26 hours to go before I leave for 5 weeks in Florence. I waited most of my life to start traveling. My first European trip was in September, 2002. Since then I've probably been to 15 European cities, Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Canada (Montreal, PEI, Halifax), Mardi Gras, FL several times, Southern California, all over New England, Seattle and the Olympic Peninsula, Hawaii, Chicago...I think I can go on forever. I travel with my husband, always on the cheap, and I can't believe how thrilling it is to wake up after an exhausting trip and begin a day in a place that's fresh and new and strange. This, though, is the dream of a lifetime. After years of practice and self-teaching, I have 5 weeks to practice speaking Italian in Italy. I'm flying first-class standby, a form of stress-torture not comparable to anything else I've experienced. I don't know when I'll get out of Kennedy Airport, or even where I'll arrive, but I'll drink champagne and eat well on the way. I decided only recently that I should keep a record of my impressions, so, here is where I begin - with my pre-trip anxiety. See you all sometime after I arrive in Florence and find an internet cafe.