September 18

I woke up this morning and realized, for the first time, that I couldn't pick up my cell phone and call my kids. I felt panic or at least extreme anxiety and couldn't go back to sleep. As they planned their journey, I got caught up in the planning, the packing and things I would need to do while they were gone. I never really thought about the usual fears...plane crashes, tsunamis, cyclones, floods, muggings...I thought about the practical things. How would they get cash...ATM's? How would they access the internet? What if they needed something from the states...how would we get it to them? But I never thought about how often I would call them both and 'chat' with them online. It's going to be a long 4 months.