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What you see pictured is all we’re bringing with us for the next two weeks. Two tightly packed, and quite heavy, carry-on bags. This will be an adventure.

I’m sitting in the Red Carpet Club in terminal one, a perk that came with the tickets. Previously, I’d only been in Maple Leaf Lounges, Air Canada’s premium lounges. Hands down, they win. My tap beer selection here was Bud and Bud Light. In Canada, it was Unibroue, Sleeman, plus your generic Labbatt and Molson. But, and here’s the big difference, in Canada, the drinks are complimentary. But, I digress.

Last night I was a ball of nervous excitement. Only once or twice before have I felt such a rush. We’re about to embark on a great trip. To exerience places and cultures we’ve never before seen first hand. I liken it to the feeling I had just before my first plane trip. I’d never been on one before, and was quite excited about it. Any nerviousness I had was pure anticipation (I’ve never been afraid to fly). A little of that nervous energy has come back to me, but that’s not it entirely.

The second time I felt a rush like this was when I was leaving Canada to move to the U.S. Then, as now, I was struck by the knowledge that I was about to do something big in my life., and embark on a world of new experiences, many of them unknown.

Those two nuclei snowballed into the anticipation and anxiety I have right now. By design, our trip is rather ad-hoc. Some segments are set in stone for logistical reasons: our flight to and from Germany, our ferry ride from England to France, our car rental on the French coast, and our lodging from tomorrow night through Thursday. All else is by the seat of our pants. We don’t even know for sure how the second week of our journey will unfold, short of it involving Switzerland and ending in Dusseldorf.

And I love it.

I absolutely dig this. I’m thrilled, anxious, nervous and giddy.

This is going to be fun.

We’ll spend tonight on the plane, awake in Germany and begin the European fun.

More from Germany tomorrow.