That itchy foot syndrome has spread throughout my body and, I’m afraid, my brain as well. Time to get on the road again.

Claiming Viking blood allows me to explain itchy (summer) feet. I know I’ve related the syndrome to Athlete’s Foot before but here’s a better simile. There’s a phrase, go a-Viking, meaning to go out raiding. Its origins are Norse and it was primarily used to describe the pastime of those Scandinavian farmers who headed out for a raid or two between spring planting and fall harvest. There you have it…I must head out as well, for somewhere, anywhere. Well, not just anywhere…

I have a plan; two plans actually.

• August Road Trip: The indistinct-mumble ___th high-school reunion beckons—it’s too hard to say that number out loud because…well…because…it’s a very big number. I’m excited. Old friends. Literally. Northome High School. Minnesota has always scored well in public education rankings so I’m thinking we learned a lot, and I remember enjoying it, at least once in awhile. So in August, I will steer my new white chariot west to eventually go east to Northome. To be explained…
• Another Big Trip/Very Big Trip in October and November: Around the world…well, not officially ‘around,’ more like halfway around and then back again. Further than around actually. 26,200 miles approximately, versus 24,874 miles at the circumference officially. But I’m flying into Wellington, New Zealand, up to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, then by land over to Delhi, India via the Laotian mountains, temples of Myanmar, coffee houses of Kathmandu and, not least, the bathers in the Ganges and tourists in the Taj Mahal. Finally, by air, home from Delhi by way of Tokyo.

It is making me quite nervous just writing all those miles down—the cowardly fairy on my right shoulder keeps saying, “Are you out of your friggin’ mind?” And I apparently have an abscessed tooth this fine Sunday morning, so must exist through today on pain pills, yogurt, and travel dreams (the kind of dreams where I’m walking down exciting  avenues, eating unusual but delicious meals, falling asleep to temple chants—no nightmares where I’m paying my dentist vast sums of my travel money please.)

Taking the Long Way Home…coming up.