Crossing the Pond-The Intro

In the Spring of 1997, I took a trip overseas-my first and only trip across the pond.

It was for work purposes and I remember the initial conversation like it was yesterday.

"Sugar, I’m going to have to send you to the factory."

“Cool. I’ve not been to the Little Rock branch.”

“Eh, no. I’m sending you to Bombay.”

“Huh?”

“I know. It’s a rotten thing to do to you. It’s nasty, it’s dirty and you’re going to hate me for the rest of your life, but I can’t bring myself to go again this year.”

“Huh?”

“I’ll send Bob and Chuck to go with you. They can meet you in Chicago. I told them you get to pick the layover. I like Rome, but since it’s your first trip overseas, you might want to go where they speak English as the primary. How about London? Will that be OK? You’ll need to get a passport."

“...Huh?"

Obviously I went and never did hate Jimmy like he said I would.

A Missouri girl traveling to India?

Insanity!

Why?

To this day, I’ve never figured out the reason for that trip. The work I did while there was a waste of time. Bob and Chuck could have easily taken care of it. Maybe Jimmy wanted me to have an adventure?

And I got to go to frikkin’ London! Twice! Jesus, England is the Holy Mecca to an English Major.

So I decided I would keep a journal. I knew that I would never remember all the things I wanted to remember, so that seemed the way to do it. At the time I thought I was keeping great detail, but after rereading it, I find I did an abysmal job.

But, I’m going to recount my trip. I will do some refining, but mostly it will be just as I wrote it.

I'll start in a day or two.

Big and Little, this is for you.