Like a gentle shift in an afternoon tryst, my lover was ready for whatever I wanted to do. Words were everything that I craved in my own romantic relationships. Exciting and compelling and engaging and mystical and rich with history and meaning and context. Let’s face it, language is one of the sexiest things out there.

No, it is not going to be snakes. (even though we saw a guy walking up the street with one of those yellow albino python death-grip things wrapped around his neck like a scarf…*shudder*)

Somewhere over the Aleutian Islands (where my Bumpy was stationed on his way home from the South Pacific during WWII) in the Northern Pacific Ocean, I flew into the future (flux capacitor not even necessary!)

They are extraordinary people. I am, in general (and especially in 2011), a hot mess.

Extraordinary people have extraordinary stories. Hot messes barely make it out of bed in the morning.

I’ve done a fair amount of domestic travel and flights (though my first of those was not until I was 25) so I’m not totally lost in the mechanics of travel.

International travel, that’s a whole different story.

Quick!

Before you read any further DO THIS EXERCISE

Grab a piece of scrap paper and a pen/pencil.
Look through the word search
Write down the FIRST four words that you see in the sea of letters.
Don’t analyze, don’t question, don’t look for particular words. Just write down the first four words.