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.