Remembering quotes from Camus, I realize a couple of things. First, I am about one hour outside London, and second, I really don’t have any idea what date it is. I think it is the 15th, but we are about 24 hours into our 34-hour journey to Barcelona. The flight has been relatively uneventful: Ashley slept for much of it, while I read more than 200 pages from various books. My sleep has been anything but regular; I have had no more than three hours a night for the past five days or so. I had to leave Portland with a “bang”!

The idea of going to Europe was circulating in the back of my mind for a few weeks. Financially, I was secure, at least for the summer, and I had a few jobs when I came back. Why not go to Europe? Routinely, I check for inexpensive airfare, but from Portland, Oregon, airfare across the Atlantic is always going to be quite expensive. My decision to go was hastened by two friends, Sybil and Ashley, who were also considering the trip. Sybil was planning on studying in Barcelona for a few weeks, and Ashley just wanted to visit. The three of us all worked together and consequently booked our tickets at the same time. Through STA Travel, which had the cheapest tickets we could find, we acquired tickets for about …