In exactly five hours and seven minutes, Delta Airlines Flight 5591 will depart from Terminal 3 in JFK International Airport and take me on yet another life excursion – this time to Akron, Ohio for South Park Ohio #2 – or SPOH 2 as it is affectionately called.

To be honest, I do not even feel that I am going to be on a plane before breakfast much less in Ohio before lunchtime. My day consisted of meetings, last-minute projects – and the fact that until midnight, I had not even thought about what I was packing yet – much less about packing at all. In fact, I didn’t even eat dinner tonight – and now I have to wake up in three hours and head to the airport.

After a grueling workday, which didn’t end until I completed my tasks at midnight, I then packed and hopefully made sure that I didn’t forget anything. I got the various CDs, DVDs, MP3s and goodies that I always bring to each gathering. I have my clothes, toiletries, camera, a borrowed laptop from Woody so I can write columns on the four planes I am taking and copy over the pictures I take from my digital camera during my trip – as well as two of Guido’s famous Cheesecakes for my friends at SPOH – who I will see in less than ten hours.

When I was a child, I would count down the hours to a planned vacation months ahead of time. In fact, I saw a commercial once that reminded me of how I was when it came to my vacations as a youngster. It was a Walt Disney Commercial where a five-year-old boy was packing a suitcase while telling his “younger” brother who had to be two-years-old what to do when they got to Disneyworld, because the older brother was there before. After giving his “advice,” the older brother closed the suitcase and they both sat on top of it. The older brother, after placing his arm around the toddler said, “We’ll be leaving in about three weeks.” That’s how I always felt when I was on vacation – but for some reason – I don’t anymore.

Don’t get me wrong, I can’t wait to see Tom and Carla, Mek and Deborah, Erica and Yvette, America and Ben, Julie and Summer, Ralph and Kristen, and Michael and Lindsey and have an amazing and truly necessary weekend “away from it all.” I just don’t have the same anticipation when it comes to vacations that I used to. It could be because as of late, I travel an average of once every three months – or it could be that I am so busy that I no longer have the time to focus on upcoming vacations until my plane is ready for takeoff – like it will be in two hundred and eighty-five minutes.

I have a gut feeling that because of the people that I will see at SPOH, the fact that I am at peace with myself and am at a good stage of my life at this moment in time – and the fact that I have a great job at Fillmore Real Estate and am happy being the Publisher of The Pulse – I will be able to enjoy this weekend with a clear head – and a weekend of nothing but free time.

I am going to try and get some rest now, because I have to be up in less than three hours – and I have a long and exciting weekend ahead of me.