Reunited with Carol Holloway! Fittingly, the day started with an earthquake that was strong enough to wake me up, just before the alarm was set to go off. This is the start of something big! And then, at LAX, waiting to board my historic flight, I ran into Paul Braugham (of Princess Cruises), one of my favorite people. Another good omen.

And on the flight north, I told my seat-mate that I was on my way to rendezvous with a high-school sweetheart that I haven't seen in twenty-four years — and by the time the plane touched down in Spokane (after a stop in Portland), my whole section of the plane was abuzz, cheering me on as I walked down the ramp to where Carol was waiting, beaming.