Packing for a trip where the temperatures will vary from 40 degrees up to 80 degrees can be quite challenging. Layers, layers, layers. Luckily, most of my clothing has been purchased with just that flexibility in mind. Warmth together with comfort are paramount. I am all packed and almost ready to go. Chloe is staying with John and is already there at his house making it her own. John will be picking me up shortly to take me for the start of my journey which starts with spending approximately 15 hours either in airports or in the air. I am traveling alone, as I usually do. Some may feel daunted by that but I have been blessed with two favorite pastimes that particularly lend themselves to traveling alone…people watching and a love of reading.

Wandering through an airport gives one an endless opportunity to give free rein to imagining about the lives of others. Sometimes I just observe and guess where and why an individual or group is traveling. Sometimes I make up scenarios based upon perceived body language. Sometimes, I eavesdrop on conversations. Hey, a lot of people don’t pay attention to what they are saying while in public places. That’s not my fault.

Then, part of my joy when going on vacation is the exquisite alone time where I can transport myself into the fantasy world of books. My favorite genre is thrillers, mysteries dark and deep, with twists requiring my complete attention. Hours and hours can go by as I immerse myself into the story. I thank God and Jason Merkoski for inventing the Kindle, although the world’s first automated reader, the precursor to today’s e-readers, was actually invented in Spain in 1949 by a woman named Angela Ruiz Robles. She was a school teacher and her idea was that school children would find it easier to carry this reader rather than a number of different text books. It was not electronic, nor mass produced but what a fascinating innovation, especially for the times.

The invention of the internet gave inspiration to Michael Hart who, in 1971, typed the text of the Declaration of Independence which he then sent out on ARPAnet saying it was available for download. Six people took him up on his offer by downloading the text; thus, the world’s first e-book was born.

How far we have come. My Kindle Oasis holds hundreds of books yet weighs just a tad over 8 ounces. Amazing!