2002-11-09 - 6:26 a.m.

The Fountain of Youth

The last couple days I've been running around like my head waws on fire, trying to get everything ready, but now time is up. In less than 20 minutes Skippy is going to be here to take me to the airport. A lot of what I wanted to do is still undone, but that can't be helped now.

I still can't quite believe I'm doing this - I'm going to China! If you had told me, two and a half years ago when I started this diary, that I was going to be winging my way have around the world to be with my lady love, I would have probably said: "Pull the other one, it's got bells on it." Who would have thought that my gray, joyless life had something like this lurking in it?

Recently a humorless person told me to "grow up," which, now that I think about it, is pretty funny. Before I started this diary I thought that my life was just about over. My health wasn't good and I'd turned into a sort of neurotic hermit, too scared to leave his burrow and see what the world really had to offer. Adventure and romance were not a part of my life at all, now look at me! I'm going farther from home than I've ever been, journeying to a land that has mystified and fascinated westerners for centuries. How about that!

Of course I owe much of this to my darling Lily, who loves me and believes in me enough that I think I can do nearly anything. Somehow, in my tired old heart, I found an inexhaustible supply of joy, and a second youth. It's a big challenge keeping up with someone nearly half my age, but somehow it doesn't seem so tough. It's five in the morning and I've hardly had any sleep, but I'm excited. Let's go, already!

I am coming for you, my darling.