D-day is approaching fast. It is tomorrow, Jan. 4th. And winter has retreated somewhat in Brussels so that planes are back to a normal schedule.

Once again, as I have done at least twice in the past for new jobs, and new friends, I will take Delta 125 out of Brussels to Atlanta. This Grand Voyage will thus begin on a familiar note, with a stop at Hartsfield Int’l. My first visit there dates back to 1982. It was much smaller then, and the southern drawls seem to have been longer!

As soon as I will have passed border control though, it will be different: instead of MARTA to the north end of Atlanta, I will be getting off the Airport Metro to catch a flight to Fort Lauderdale. Last time I was there, was in 1985 – for work, of course, conducting a reference visit at Bendix Avionics with Volvo Cars from the Netherlands. Both companies have meanwhile been subsumed in the grand globalization drive.

This time around, Fort Lauderdale will be the real beginning of the Grand Voyage, right at Port Everglades, where the ms Prinsendam and, presumably also my forwarded luggage, will be awaiting me to board, on Wednesday, in the afternoon.

This morning I did the “final hand luggage packing”, medicines, computer and photo gear, some underwear and a shaving machine: twelve kilos maximum, peanuts, so to speak! As you can see from the accompanying picture, I am prepared for the worst: Malarone against malaria, Imodium against any King’s Revenge and … Postaphene. Not directly a common name I gather. The fact that it comes in tablets and in “sputniks”, gives away some of the mystery. The sputnik is indeed the brute force weapon of choice against sudden sea sickness, especially when your timing was off!

I will be prepared for the Drake Passage!