I was packing for my trip this morning when I pulled out my flight plan to make sure I knew when I had to get to the airport. Just as I had remembered, my plane was set to leave tonight at 6:20. My eyes skipped up a couple lines to check the airline when I saw that this was for next month’s trip to Nashville.

Panic pulsed through my veins. This happened to me once when I was supposed to be in New York. This could be bad. My phone cell phone rang and I didn’t recognized the area code. Dear God, please don’t let that be the people Nashville waiting for me at the airport. I didn’t dare answer the phone. I called Kathleen and asked about my flight. She flipped through her files and my heart pounded. Her voice lifted with her Scottish accent, “Oh dear, you won’t be flying out till thlree this afternewn.” I fell back on my bed in relief.

Now it’s past four, and I’m flying east to Tennessee. I’m really excited about speaking at the rally tomorrow, but these airplanes are too cramped. Every weekend, at least two strangers get to feel my elbow for the afternoon.

(Holy shiznit! The guy sitting next to me must be a doctor. He’s watching a video of people doing surgery on someone’s knee. Whoa…now he’s eating cookies while he’s watching it. Oh gross. I can’t look over there anymore. Freak nasty!)

I forgot to explain who called me this morning. It was the trucking company, calling me to tell me they’re picking up my car, and it’ll be here in Phoenix on Sunday afternoon. It will be three weeks since I bought the car on eBay, but it seems like two months.

(Okay, the flight attendant just reprimanded a mommy for changing her baby’s diaper on the seat next to her. The conversation was awkward, so they chit-chatted for a couple minutes to make it seem like they were both considerate people. The mom is an interesting character. She talks in a loud bouncy voice to her baby. She tells her baby silly things that she really intends for us to hear: “I’m going to feed you are you’re going to go right into a quiet sleep.”)

I am trying to be light-hearted in this journal, because deep down I am scared. Tomorrow is September 11, and I’m going to be flying again. I know there’s a small chance of my plane getting hijacked, but I am haunted by the memories of hell from three years ago.