Tuesday, December 07, 2010

from O’Hare in Chicago, waiting for my flight

We’re going to Poland, my younger daughter and I, but not immediately. Our first stop is Berlin. From there, on the week-end, we’ll take the train to Krakow.

Berlin. Uff! My time in that city predates the falling of the wall. So I have memories alright, from my youthful years (as a foreign diplomat’s daughter) when I could cross from East to West and back again, even at the tense times when so many others could not.

I’m thinking a lot about Berlin – right now, mostly about the snow storms that are pounding central Europe these weeks. Some of our flights are already cancelled and rebooked – it should be the usual winter travel saga.

But, I am at the airport, about to take off, thinking how central Europe still holds this spot in my soul: I can’t quite do without it.