Preparing for any trip is fun and exciting. First, there is joy in selecting a destination and then there is eagerness in researching further to nail down an itinerary. While this trip to Israel is exciting, I neither selected the destination nor planned the schedule.

That doesn’t make this journey to the Holy Land with the Catholic Press Association any less exciting to me. In fact, even though my feet haven’t left the ground, it has already been a successful learning experience. I have pored over travel books and websites researching our planned stops, trying to learn as much as I can before leaving. Knowing some of the destinations scheduled for us, I also re-read some of the Bible stories related to key places we will be going.

Many of you wrote to me of your own experiences in the Holy Land. I thank you for all of your care and concern for me and my colleagues as we embark on this journey. Your advice and kind words mean the world to me.

While I could not come close to putting everyone into my suitcase as asked, I hope to take you along with me, at least virtually, through this blog. I only hope I can convey through my words and photos what we live through during our travels throughout Israel. The Google map with this story gives readers an idea of where we are going. Of course, the itinerary is subject to change, but I look forward to sharing the details with you as I go.

For now, as I sit at the airport, suffice it to say this is a bittersweet goodbye to friends and family. While I know this is going to be an experience of a lifetime, it does make me a bit sad because I won’t be personally sharing it with my family.