Our flight (the first of three) leaves Phoenix bright and early at 7:30 a.m., on Friday, Oct. 5. We get in the next morning and set sail that evening. While I can't say I'm looking forward to the flight(s), I can't believe the trip itself is finally -- or is that already -- here.

It's been "out there" for so long that it seems impossible that it's now just two weeks away. And I feel completely unprepared.

I wanted to learn a little Greek for the trip. I can say "good day," "thank you" (that's an important one) and count to five, but I'd planned to learn a little more. And while I can say a couple of things, I can't read anything. At all. I'll be relying on international symbols to know which bathroom is mine.

I know. I know. Poor baby. She's going to Greece and can't speak the language. Waaaaaa!

Travel anxiety is kicking in big time, and as usual, I'm grabbing at every little thing that could possibly make me nervous. Don't know why I do that, but I do.

I can't, for example, seem to forget the whale-watching cruise I went on last year. I've already bought a BioBand, but I'm fervently hoping I won't need it. I didn't on the last big cruise I took -- in 1995. (That was a pre-graduation Ensenada trip with some girlfriends -- also on Royal Caribbean.)

I also have to figure out the packing thing (including space for all the souvenirs, including Claudia's, that I'll be bringing back). And the cat thing. Not necessarily in that order.

A year to plan and it all comes down to the last couple of weeks. Isn't that always the way?

And I'm not the only one. My mom's been saying, "I need to do my lesson plans," every day for the past month or so.

I can't wait, but even after a year... I could use a couple more days.

Tick... tock... tick... tock... tick... tock...