Counting Down

In a week's time, I'll be on the plane on the way to Florida.

That probably doesn't mean as much to you as it does to me: probably everyone reading this blog will have travelled more than I have done.

But I have never been to America. I've travelled more this year than I've ever travelled in my life, with four trips to Paris and one to Barcelona, and a good deal of travelling within Britain too, all of it very enjoyable.

But I have never been to America. And I never thought I'd ever get there.

Here's one of the pieces of music that first meant America to me, from the film Midnight Cowboy, still one of my favourite films. Hauntingly evocative, and I still love it.



They're counting down this evening to the launch of the Space Shuttle Endeavour and I'm keeping an eye on NASA TV as I'm writing this.

"This is Mission Control, Houston." Does it for me every time.

I'm counting down too, to next Friday.